Andre Ayew: Stephen Appiah didn’t learn to be a leader; it’s a gift from God

The 31-year-old said Appiah was a charismatic leader when he captained the Black Stars, insisting he learned a lot from him.

“I think he is someone who had the charisma, the love of Ghana and was also marvelous on the field. This allowed him to control everything that was happening in the squad,” Ayew told Joy FM.

“The first time I came into the Black Stars he was the leader and I really watched him and took a lot from him because he had that thing [leadership qualities] he did not learn, it’s a gift by God. That’s why he was able to achieve all that he achieved.”

Appiah is regarded by many fans and pundits as one of the best players to have ever captained the Ghana national team.

He was the first skipper to lead the Black Stars to World Cup qualification, achieving that feat in 2006.

Ayew, who is currently the captain of the Black Stars, also discussed the leadership styles of former captains John Mensah and Asamoah Gyan.

He said Mensah didn’t speak much but always did his talking on the pitch by delivering exceptional performances.

Andre Ayew is currently a free agent Pulse Ghana

“He [Mensah] wasn’t a big talker but he had the respect of everyone mainly because he performed on the pitch. I don’t remember him having a bad game in a Black Stars jersey,” Ayew stated.

“He didn’t speak much. He was always in his corner but he spoke on the pitch and his performance will make you understand what he was telling you.”

The former Swansea City star also described Gyan as “jovial and more into the laughter side of things with the players. He had that ability to interact with any player due to the way he conducted himself.”

Ayew served as deputy Black Stars captain to Gyan, before succeeding the latter during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.