André Ayew portrait — Wikimedia Commons (see CREDITS)
Ghana's All-Time Caps Leader. Dede. Abedi's Firstborn. location_on NAC Breda (Eredivisie)

ANDRÉ
AYEW

Forward / Winger #10 Ghanaian flag Ghana (Black Stars) — captain
forum

Age

36 yrs

Height

1.76m

Caps / Goals

122 / 25

Profile

Who is André

André Morgan Rami 'Dede' Ayew is the all-time caps leader for Ghana's Black Stars, playing at four FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014, 2022) and eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments since his 2007 senior debut. The son of African football legend Abedi Pele, he is captain of the Black Stars and currently plays for Dutch Eredivisie club NAC Breda after spells at Marseille (where he won Ligue 1 in 2010), Swansea, West Ham, Fenerbahçe, Al Sadd and Le Havre. He is not retired and remains active at 36. His brothers Jordan Ayew (Leicester City) and Ibrahim Ayew (formerly Lens) have also played senior football for Ghana.

Tactical DNA

Ayew's base position is a left-sided forward who drifts inside to play as a second striker. At his Marseille peak (2009–2014) under Didier Deschamps he averaged around 10 goals and 6 assists per Ligue 1 season while also playing as a pressing 4-3-3 right winger. At Swansea and West Ham in the Premier League he was used almost exclusively as a second striker or as the left half of a narrow front three.

For Ghana he is the senior attacking leader from deep, carrying the captain's armband since 2019 under Kwesi Appiah and Chris Hughton. His 122 senior caps as of April 2026 are the all-time Ghana record, ahead of Asamoah Gyan (109) and Richard Kingson (90). He remains the only Ghanaian player to have scored at three different FIFA World Cups (2010 vs Australia, 2014 vs Germany, 2022 vs Portugal).

Career Journey

history
Marseille (France)
203 apps 59 goals 37 assists

Marseille academy graduate. Ligue 1 winner 2009–10 — OM's first Ligue 1 title since 1992. Two loans to Lorient (2008–09) and Arles-Avignon (2010–11). UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year 2010. Captain from 2013.

trophy
Swansea City (Wales)
34 apps 12 goals Free

Premier League debut season at 25. Scored 12 Premier League goals as Swansea's second striker in a season that ended 12th. Ghanaian Footballer of the Year 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017.

sports_soccer
West Ham United (England)
46 apps 6 goals £20.5m (West Ham record at the time)

Moved to West Ham for a then-club-record £20.5m in summer 2016. Two injury-affected seasons in East London before a 2018 Swansea loan return.

sports_soccer
Fenerbahçe (Turkey) / Al Sadd (Qatar)
98 apps 33 goals

Fenerbahçe loan 2018–19. Swansea return 2018–20 (Championship). Al Sadd three-season spell 2020–21 under Xavi Hernández, winning the 2021 Qatar Stars League.

sports_soccer
Nottingham Forest / Al Sadd / Le Havre
57 apps 9 goals

Short-term Premier League Nottingham Forest (2022–23). Second Al Sadd spell. One-season Ligue 1 return at Le Havre (2023–24). Free agent August 2024.

sports_soccer
NAC Breda (Netherlands) — current
12 apps 2 goals Free

Signed for Eredivisie side NAC Breda in January 2025 as a 35-year-old. First Ghanaian player at NAC Breda since the 1990s. Scored his first Eredivisie goal in February 2025.

Current Season Stats

Live Data
Status
Active
NAC Breda 2025–26
Career caps
122
Ghana all-time leader
Int'l goals
25
World Cups
3
2010, 2014, 2022
AFCONs
8
2008–2023
Ligue 1 titles
1
Marseille 2009–10

military_techHonours

emoji_events

FIFA U-20 World Cup

Ghana 2009 (Egypt, captain) — first African U-20 title

star

Ligue 1

Marseille 2009–10

star

Coupe de la Ligue

Marseille 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12

star

Trophée des Champions

Marseille 2010, 2011

star

Qatar Stars League

Al Sadd 2020–21

star

UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year

Marseille 2009–10

star

Ghanaian Footballer of the Year

2011, 2014, 2015, 2017

star

AFCON Runner-up

Ghana 2010 (Angola), 2015 (Equatorial Guinea)

flagWith Ghana (Black Stars) — captain

122
Caps
25
Goals
2007
Debut
FIFA U-20 World Cup 2009 (winner, captain) AFCON 2008 (third, hosts) World Cup 2010 (quarter-final) AFCON 2010 (runner-up) AFCON 2012 (fourth) AFCON 2013 (fourth) World Cup 2014 AFCON 2015 (runner-up) AFCON 2017 (fourth) AFCON 2019 (Round of 16) AFCON 2021 (group stage) World Cup 2022 (captain) AFCON 2023 (group stage, captain)
format_quote

Beyond the Pitch

Born 17 December 1989 in Seclin, a northern French suburb of Lille, during his father Abedi Pele's Lille OSC playing spell. Given name André Morgan Rami Ayew; known in Ghana by the family nickname 'Dede'. Holds dual French and Ghanaian nationality and was educated primarily in Marseille from the age of 7 when his father moved to Olympique de Marseille.

Father is Ghanaian football legend Abedi Pele (1992 African Footballer of the Year, 1990–91 UEFA Champions League winner with Marseille). Younger brothers Jordan Ayew (Leicester City, 79 Ghana caps as of 2026) and Ibrahim Ayew (formerly Lens, retired 2021) are also full senior Ghana internationals. Uncle Kwame Ayew played senior football for Ghana in the 1990s.

Married to Yvonne Ayew since 2015; the couple have three children and live primarily in London and Accra. Runs the Ayew Legends Foundation with his father and brothers, which funds youth academies in Accra and Dome, Ghana. Holds UEFA B coaching badge and has publicly said he intends to coach after retirement.

photo_camera alternate_email

Expert Analysis

Kwaku Mensah

Kwaku Mensah

Senior Writer

14 posts on André.

André Q&A

How old is André Ayew? expand_more
André Ayew was born on 17 December 1989 in Seclin, northern France. He is 36 years old as of April 2026 and is still active, currently playing for Dutch Eredivisie club NAC Breda.
Is André Ayew retired? expand_more
No. André Ayew is not retired. He signed for Dutch Eredivisie club NAC Breda in January 2025 as a free agent after leaving Ligue 1 side Le Havre in summer 2024. He has publicly said he intends to play into his late 30s and continues to captain Ghana's Black Stars.
What is André Ayew's current club? expand_more
As of April 2026 André Ayew plays for NAC Breda in the Dutch Eredivisie. He joined the club on a free transfer in January 2025 after spells at Le Havre (Ligue 1) and Al Sadd (Qatar). Prior to those he had two stints at Swansea, plus West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Fenerbahçe and eight seasons at Marseille.
Who is André Ayew's father? expand_more
André Ayew is the eldest son of Abedi Pele, the Ghanaian football legend who won the 1990–91 UEFA Champions League with Marseille and was three-time African Footballer of the Year (1991, 1992, 1993). His younger brothers Jordan Ayew (Leicester City) and Ibrahim Ayew are also senior Ghana internationals; his uncle Kwame Ayew played for Ghana in the 1990s.
How many caps does André Ayew have for Ghana? expand_more
As of April 2026 André Ayew has 122 senior caps for Ghana — the all-time Black Stars record, ahead of Asamoah Gyan (109 caps) and Richard Kingson (90 caps). He has scored 25 international goals and is the only Ghanaian to have scored at three separate FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014, 2022).
What is André Ayew's net worth? expand_more
Public estimates of André Ayew's net worth in 2026 sit around US $25–30 million, reflecting nine Marseille seasons, two Premier League contracts, a record £20.5m 2016 West Ham transfer, three Al Sadd seasons and ongoing Adidas endorsements. These are outside estimates rather than disclosed figures.
What is André Ayew's position? expand_more
Ayew is a left-footed forward who plays either as a second striker, a left-sided 4-3-3 forward or an inverted right winger. At Marseille he was a classic left-sided attacking midfielder; in the Premier League at Swansea and West Ham he played more centrally as a second striker. For Ghana he typically plays off the main striker.
Did André Ayew win the Ligue 1? expand_more
Yes. André Ayew won the Ligue 1 title with Olympique de Marseille in the 2009–10 season, his third senior campaign at the club. It was Marseille's first Ligue 1 title since 1992. Ayew was also voted UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year that same season and added three Coupe de la Ligue titles with OM between 2010 and 2012.

Related

Country Football in Ghana arrow_forward League Ghana Premier League arrow_forward Player Abedi Pele arrow_forward Player Asamoah Gyan arrow_forward Player Michael Essien arrow_forward

Last updated 2026-04-22 · written by Kwaku Mensah.