Andre Ayew has said leading Ghana’s Black Satellites team to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2009 in Egypt is the most decorated moment in his career.
The Nottingham Forest attacker played a crucial role in the team’s success beating Brazil in penalty shootouts to lift the trophy after winning the African Youth Championship.
Following the team’s success, Andre Ayew, among other players earned a place in the Black Stars squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Over a decade later, the 33-year-old still looks back on that achievement with immense pride.
Speaking to FIFA, the Black Stars skipper expressed his joy and nostalgia for the tournament, revealing that it was “still the most beautiful moment of my career”.
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He went on to describe the emotions he felt during the tournament and the pride that came with being a part of the first African team to win the title.
“It’s the title that’s given us the most joy, the most honour and the most pride. No one expected us to win, because no African country had ever been world champions in that age category. It remains the best moment of my career. I can still picture the scenes that greeted our return to Ghana. The whole country was buzzing. It’s for those kinds of moments that we play football,” Ayew said.
He also expressed his belief that winning the U-20 World Cup was a defining moment for Ghanaian football, as it showed the world what the country was capable of achieving on the international stage.
Ayew added that the trophy is on a whole other level for what it represents for Ghana and the entire African continent.
“I’ve enjoyed some great victories over my career, but that trophy is on a whole other level for what it represents for Ghana and the entire continent. It was a defining moment for Ghanaian football and showed the world what we are capable of. Every time I think about it, I still get excited,” he said.