The spokesperson for the Ayew family, Fiifi Tackie, says Black Stars captain Andre Ayew cannot be compelled to retire, despite facing criticism following Ghana’s disappointing performance at the AFCON 2023
Despite being the team’s most experienced member at the age of 34, calls for Ayew’s retirement from the national team have intensified after another group stage exit at the AFCON.
In response, Tackie stressed that the decision to retire is ultimately up to Ayew himself, and no one else can make that choice for him.
“Andre is an adult who can make his own decisions. People can offer suggestions, but it’s up to him to decide what’s best for his career,” Tackie said in an interview with Max TV.
Regarding the constant scrutiny faced by the Ayew brothers, Tackie believes that many critics are motivated by a desire to gain attention and boost their social media profiles.
“The name gives people lights and eyeballs and traffic, so when people talk about them they make money from them. An example is YouTube, when you talk about Jodan and Dede Ayew, you will get more reactions than the other (Black Stars) players,” he said.
“It gives them mailliage on their social media platforms and that’s why they do that. [Veteran sports journalists] Kwabena Yebaoh and Karl Tuffour are all doing their job. They have not retired because they think they have much to offer. It is their call to retire, nobody can push anybody to retire.”
Ayew, who has played in eight AFCON tournaments, is Ghana’s most-capped player and holds the record for most appearances in AFCON history, tied with Rigobert Song.