Jordan shortlisted for Lorient award

Ghana striker Jordan Ayew has been named in a four-man shortlist for FC Lorient’s Player of the Month award for March.

It was a difficult month for the Breton side, who lost three of their four matches, but the former Olympique de Marseille striker was in fine form.

He scored the winner against Stade Malherbe Caen on March 14 to secure the club’s only victory of the month. The two sides were tied at 1-1 after Raphael Guerreiro’s powerful strike cancelled-out Herve Basile’s opener, but it was Ayew who settled the tie.

Having contributed the assist for Guerreiro’s goal, the Black Star stole the glory with a sweetly-struck effort.

With Lorient struggling for points in the top flight, the three points secured against Caen could prove to be invaluable come the season’s end.

He found the net a week later against Paris Saint-Germain.

Lorient may have lost the match 3-1, but having fallen behind in the fourth minute, they responded well and ultimately were only undone in the final 10 minutes.

It was Ayew who equalised on the day—sending a 20-yard effort past Salvatore Sirigu. The West African could have had a second moments later, but his shot was blocked on the line by Marco Verratti.

Ayew also played in Lorient’s first two games of the month, against Saint-Etienne and Evian Thonon Gaillard.

The striker has feature 23 times for Sylvain Ripoll’s side in Ligue 1 this season since moving to the club from OM in the summer.

He is the side’s key player, having scored nine goals and contributed five assists so far this term as Lorient seek to preserve their top-flight status.

After 30 matches they sit 17th in the French table. They are one point behind 16th-place Evian, but only two ahead of Toulouse in 18th and the relegation zone.

Lorient will be looking to pull clear of the bottom three this weekend when they welcome local rivals Stade Rennais to the Stade du Moustoir.

Vincent Le Goff, Benjamin Lecomte and Francois Bellugou have also been shortlisted for the prize.