The Ghana international has come under a lot of pressure recently following his poor run of form but his countryman has advised him to prove doubters wrong
Ghana striker Jordan Ayew has been advised by countryman Awudu Issaka to double his efforts and prove doubters including former Arsenal captain Thierry Henry wrong.
Henry launched a scathing attack on Ayew last week after the 30-year-old missed a glorious opportunity to seal a win for Crystal Palace against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.
Ayew’s miss proved crucial as Neal Maupay managed to score a late equaliser for Brighton and denied Palace a famous win. After the game, Henry insisted that Ayew should’ve passed the ball to Christian Benteke if he knew he will fluff the chance.
The former France international added that he ‘would’ve killed Ayew if he was his teammate’ since such opportunities must be be buried.
And Issaka, who faced a similar situation while playing for Belgian giants Anderlecht, believes Ayew can prove his critics wrong.
“Jordan Ayew has so far done a lot for Ghana. We have some kind of coaches who always give bad comments about a player. It was Henry’s opinion and that doesn’t mean Jordan Ayew is not a good player,” Issaka told Ghanasportspage.
“If you are a player and you hear this comment you have to put the person wrong. Jordan Ayew can prove him wrong. If the goals are not coming that doesn’t mean he is a bad player.
“No, we have some comments that need to be determined to see that it won’t affect the person or cause any problem. During his time he also missed some great chances, it is part of the game.
“Jordan Ayew shouldn’t take it seriously but should work on his mistakes to put him wrong. That’s all. Says Awudu Issaka on GL Radio in China.
“That Henry’s comment won’t go anywhere. Jordan is still a Jordan. My advice for him is that he shouldn’t listen to all that people say about him, you can admit some and work on it. What Thierry Henry says means Jordan should wake up and put him wrong,” he added.
Ayew, who has gone 36 games without a goal for Palace, is expected to still play a part in their home game against Leicester City in Premier League on Sunday.
He is also expected to join Ghana’s squad to face Zimbabwe in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers during the international break.
The Black Stars will play Zimbabwe at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on October 9 before they travel to Harare for the reverse fixture on October 12.