Jordan Ayew equals John Paintsil’s Ghana record

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Jordan Ayew reached a milestone in his Ghana career after making his 91st appearance against the Central African Republic in the final round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

The 31-year-old, who entered Ghana’s match with his head held high after winning the Crystal Palace Player of the Month title for August, received additional honours when he took over as captain of the team in the absence of his brother Andre Ayew.

Ghana under Jordan Ayew’s leadership climbed from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over their opponents thanks to a brilliant free-kick goal from Mohammed Kudus and a late goal in the 88th minute from Ernest Nuamah who was only making his second appearance for the Black Stars.

Jordan Ayew has now become the joint-fourth on the rankings of Ghana internationals with the most appearances only behind, Andre Ayew (114), Asamoah Gyan (109) and Richard Kingson (93).

After the game, the former Olympique Marseille player said he was ready to increase his tally with more games.

“I still have more games to go,” he said.

Ayew who has been a consistent figure for the team since his first game in 2010 has also scored 19 goals and is anticipated to be more involved in Ghana’s subsequent matches including fixtures in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2023 AFCON tournament to be held in Ivory Coast next year.