Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew during training at Black Stars
Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has emphatically stated that he does not consider himself a rival to anyone while addressing his relationship with current Black Stars skipper Andre Ayew.
During an Instagram Live session on January 2, 2025, Gyan explained that instigators have strained his relationship with Ayew, claiming that the perceived rivalry between the two players stemmed from people brainwashing the former Olympique Marseille man.
The former Sunderland striker dismissed the narrative of a feud, emphasising that Andre Ayew consistently shows genuine affection whenever they meet.
“Andre is a good person. When he plays, he plays with passion. People brainwashed him, and I know it wasn’t his fault,” Gyan said in response to a fan’s question about his relationship with Ayew.
“Are you okay? Because today I’m in my element. You people create the problems, and I’ve told you it’s a fact. Are you okay? What do you want to know about me and Andre? Andre, when he sees me, has that genuine love inside. But he was brainwashed because people wanted to benefit from it. And that’s what brought this so-called rivalry. I’m not a rival to anybody,” he added.
Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew have been perceived as rivals since a controversial captaincy transition in 2019, when Gyan was replaced as Black Stars captain by Ayew.
The captaincy saga has been a significant source of tension in their relationship, with Gyan previously stating in an interview that Ayew is not his friend.
“Andre is my teammate, but he’s not my friend. In every job, you work together, but not everyone is your friend that you hang out with,” Gyan earlier said in an interview with Wontumi FM.
“Andre is my teammate, and when we’re in camp, we work together, but I can’t ask him to join me to go sit somewhere and have a conversation. I also have my own clique,” he stated.
EE/MA
