Stories and facts
André Morgan Rami Ayew, popularly known in Ghana as Dede Ayew, is a professional footballer renowned for his versatility as a winger or forward. Born on December 17, 1989, Ayew currently plays for Ligue 1 club Le Havre and serves as the captain of the Ghana national team.
The second-born son of legendary footballer Abedi "Pele" Ayew, a three-time African Footballer of the Year and FIFA 100 member, André comes from a family deeply rooted in football.
His brothers, Ibrahim and Jordan, are also professional footballers. Over his career, Ayew has achieved remarkable accolades, including being named the BBC African Footballer of the Year and Ghanaian Footballer of the Year in 2011.
Ayew’s football journey began in Germany with 1860 Munich, where he joined the club at the age of seven. He later moved to France and signed with Olympique de Marseille, his father’s former club, in 2006.
After progressing through the youth academy, Ayew debuted for Marseille in the 2007–08 season. Loan spells at Lorient and Arles-Avignon followed, with Ayew helping Arles-Avignon secure promotion to Ligue 1.
Returning to Marseille in 2010, Ayew became an integral part of the team under Didier Deschamps, making over 200 appearances and winning back-to-back Trophée des Champions and Coupe de la Ligue titles in 2010 and 2011.
Internationally, Ayew has been a stalwart for Ghana since 2008, earning over 120 caps. At the youth level, he captained Ghana's under-20 team to victories in the 2009 African Youth Championship and the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Ayew has represented Ghana in three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014, and 2022) and eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, finishing as runners-up in 2010 and 2015, where he also emerged as the top scorer.
Ayew’s club career is equally illustrious. Following his success at Marseille, he moved to Swansea City in 2015, scoring 12 goals in his debut Premier League season and earning the club's Player of the Month and Premier League Player of the Month for August 2015.
He later joined West Ham United for a record £20.5 million transfer fee but returned to Swansea in 2018. Loaned to Fenerbahçe for the 2018–19 season, Ayew continued to impress before returning to Swansea, where he played pivotal roles in their campaigns until 2021.
In 2021, Ayew signed with Al Sadd in Qatar, where he followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the same club Abedi Pele had played for in 1983.
Ayew enjoyed a successful stint, finishing as the second-top scorer in the league during his only full season and helping the team secure their 16th league title.
In 2023, Ayew returned to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, making his 100th appearance in the competition during the season. After a brief stint at Forest, he joined Le Havre in November 2023.
Throughout his career, Ayew has demonstrated exceptional skill, leadership, and resilience, earning recognition as one of Africa's finest football talents. His legacy continues as he leads both club and country with distinction.
Explore the life of Dede Ayew below.
