Andre Ayew reveals secret behind Ghana’s success at 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Black Stars captain Andre Dede Ayew has revealed the secret behind the Black Satellites' FIFA World Cup success story in 2009.

The 33-year-old led the Black Satellites to win the U-20 World Cup in Egypt after defeating Brazil in the final.

Until now, Ghana remains the only African country to have won the covetous trophy.

Speaking to FIFA, the Nottingham Forest star asserted that the players were there for each other, and that made the difference for the team.

"Our opening fixture against Uzbekistan was really difficult and a very close game. In fact, they opened the scoring before we came back to win. The victory allowed us to shake off our inhibitions as we then beat England 4-0."

"After our quarter-final win over Korea Republic, I was in the dining area with Jonathan Mensah, Mohammed Rabiu, Samuel Inkoom, Emmanuel Badu and Daniel Opare. I looked at them and said, 'Guys, we can bring this cup back to Ghana."

"We were about to play Hungary in the semis, and at this stage of a competition, it's the team who wants it more that wins. By then, we were growing in experience, applying ourselves more in training, being more attentive in team talks – all of which was reflected in our mindset. We were there for each other, and that's what made the difference," he said.

Ayew and some Black Satellites players earned promotions to the Black Stars after their exploits at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.

The Nottingham Forest forward is now Ghana's most capped player with 113 appearances at the senior level, beating the record held by Asamoah Gyan before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.