In an emotional video message shared on his Instagram account, Ghana captain Andre Ayew expressed his sincere regret to the country over the team’s lackluster performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ayew acknowledged that the team did not live up to the expectations of the country and expressed his profound regret for the team’s failure to advance past the group stage.
As the captain of the team, Ayew accepted full responsibility for the team’s performance and acknowledged that the players ought to have produced better outcomes.
He emphasized that a string of unlucky incidents that can happen in the unpredictable world of football, rather than a lack of effort or dedication, was the reason behind the team’s poor performance.
Read also: AFCON 2023: GFA issues an apology to Ghanaians on Black Stars’ performance.
Ayew expressed confidence in the team’s ability to recover from the setback and remained upbeat about their future. He refuted reports of his impending retirement and reiterated his steadfast dedication to the national team.
“These past days have been very difficult for every Ghanaian, every Ghanaian football fan, and myself. I’d like to apologise for the results in the AFCON that we just exited. We know that we should have done better, that we should have got better results too.”
“To the nation, as the captain of the squad, I take full responsibility for what happened on the pitch. For the playing body, we should have done better, we should have made sure that we bring results to our nation. In football, these are things that happen, these are things that make you stronger, and what doesn’t kill you makes you become a stronger person individually and collectively.”
“We are Ghana, and everybody who knows me knows that I’m never going to give up, meaning we are never going to give up. We are going to rise and shine again. We are going to do that as a family,” Ayew affirmed.
