AFCON 2021: “We embrace underdog tag but we will die for this jersey” – Dede Ayew

Ghana captain, Andre Ayew, has admitted the Black Stars will be viewed as underdogs at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations but vowed he and his teammates will leave everything on the pitch at the competition.

Ghana take on Morocco in their opening Group C game on Monday looking to end a 40-year wait for an AFCON title.

In their only preparatory game ahead of the competition, Milovan Rajevac’s team lost 3-0 to African champions Algeria, who extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to an incredible 34 games.

Asked what that means for Ghana ahead of their opening game against a similarly tough opposition like Morocco, Ayew said in the pre-match press conference; “I want to focus on what is ahead. The AFCON is a tough competition. People are seeing us as underdogs but it’s part of football.”

“Teams have shown that they have progressed and can win a lot of games in a row. We didn’t win a lot of games in a row so it’s normal for everyone to see us as underdogs but we take it with a lot of determination and hunger to prove that Ghana will never die.

“Whatever happens, we will die till the end and we will die to the end and this jersey, we will make sure that anybody that wears it will sweat it all out,” he said.