How Asamoah Gyan lost Black Stars captaincy to Andre Ayew

Knocking aside past nuances, head coach of Ghana’s senior national team, James Kwesi Appiah had always been impressed by Andre Ayew’s charismatic drive in the Black Stars squad.

Sources suggest, Appiah who made Gyan captain in 2012, began to lose faith in his leadership of the playing body, whispering to his deputy Ibrahim Tanko of the possibilities of moving the captain’s band to another arm.

Parading himself as a comic figure and aiding mild defiances in camp, a couple of senior players of the national team began to lose faith in Gyan, questioning his maturity and emotional intelligence.

In the eyes of many, Gyan had fallen too short of the high standards set by beloved ex-skipper Stephen Appiah who being a blend of all that is good on the football field, was also a most level-headed team leader who put the national interest above personal agenda.

Gyan seemed to be more thrilled by the fun side of the captaincy, doing less on the responsibility aspect and was gradually fading in influence in the squad.

Intimate reports suggest, Kwesi Appiah is a big fan of Ayew’s command over the playing body and the willingness of his team mates to listen to him and follow his example within the squad frees the coach of extra labors.

Ayew’s rise to the call in Asamoah Gyan’s absence and his glittering performance of the role as stand-in captain during Ghana’s last AFCON 2019 qualifier in Accra against Kenya, creamed-up the perception that Abedi Pele’s son will do a better job as squad leader than Baffuor Gyan’s junior brother.