Jordan Ayew embraces destiny after being named Ghana captain

Jordan Ayew has expressed his belief in destiny after being appointed captain of Ghana’s national team for this month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Leicester City forward will lead the Black Stars under a revamped national team setup, which includes Winfried Schafer as the new technical advisor for the Ghana Football Association.

Football runs deep in the Ayew family, with both Jordan’s father, Abedi Pele, and his brother, Andre Ayew, having previously captained the four-time African champions.

Jordan Ayew shared that he feels “honoured” and “proud” to continue this rich legacy.

“It’s just something that was written in the stars,” he told BBC Sport Africa.

“We’re just a passionate family. We just want to do our best [and] let the people enjoy our game.”

The 33-year-old takes over the captain’s armband from his older sibling, who was excluded from the squad by head coach Otto Addo for the Group I matches against Chad and Madagascar.

Jordan Ayew takes over the captain’s armband from his older sibling Andre

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, Andre’s former deputy, makes his return to the squad after missing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in November.

“I’m not someone who thinks about [being] captain or [a] leadership role,” Ayew added.

“I just want to enjoy playing football, winning games, scoring goals and making people happy.

“There was lot of talks and I was always quiet in my corner. I don’t focus on all those things. It just happened naturally.”