Ghana coach Otto Addo has praised Jordan Ayew the often-criticised Leicester City forward for consistently meeting expectations and proving his worth to the national team.
Despite frequent criticism, Addo emphasised that Ayew is highly regarded by his teammates, highlighting his discipline, dedication, and reliability.
Ayew has been in impressive form recently, scoring four goals in his last two games for Ghana. These goals were pivotal in Ghana’s back-to-back victories against Mali and the Central African Republic in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, significantly boosting the nation’s chances of reaching the tournament. Ayew’s tally now stands at 28 goals from 104 appearances, making him the country’s third most-capped player.
“All the players have a very good opinion of him [Jordan Ayew]. He’s always disciplined, always shows up, very, very dedicated to the national team, and that’s his job,” Addo said.
Addo also addressed the criticism Ayew often faces, particularly regarding his goal-scoring.
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“Sometimes, and maybe people don’t see this as I know they expect strikers to score, when he doesn’t score, he does a good job and especially good defensive work; closing down gaps, winning duels, running and pressing. Even if he doesn’t score, I think, for me and other coaches, we see the benefits of him. I was happy for him that he scored.”
As Ghana prepares for their upcoming matches against Angola and Niger in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this September, Addo will be counting on Ayew to maintain his top form.
