Gideon Mensah Recounts How Dede Ayew Influenced His World Cup Debut

Ghana International and Auxerre defender, Gideon Mensah, has shared his experience at the World Cup in 2022 and how outcast captain of the Black Stars, Andre Dede Ayew, influenced his performance.

The left-back started in the tournament in Qatar for the first time in Ghana’s second group game where they recorded their sole victory.

It was a game against South Korea and Mensah received all the needed encouragement and urge from the then-captain to calm his nerves.

“I remember during the warm-up, the captain Andre Ayew came to me. It was like head-to-head; his head was right in front of my forehead. He said, ‘Listen, you’ve been waiting for this. This is the moment where you need to show everybody’s watching you. You can’t make mistake you can’t let them down’,” he told Flashscore.

He admitted the message of Ayew proved significant and helpful when he stepped on the pitch.

“That was something that really helped me a lot. After that speech, I forgot about everything else. Being on the field, I didn’t think about whoever was watching; I was just focused on the game.”

The 26-year-old said going to the World Cup is the best experience he’s had in his entire career.

“To go to the next World Cup? Definitely! That’s one of the best experiences I’ve had in my career. I’ve played in front of many fans and in big games against top clubs, but the World Cup is something every player wants to be part of. It’s a great feeling.”

He is hoping Ghana makes it to the 2026 edition.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini