• Andre Ayew says qualifying for the World Cup is a priority for the Black Stars

• He also hopes that the team win the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon

• He is confident about the future of the Black Stars

Black Stars skipper, Andre Dede Ayew, has said that the immediate focus of the team is to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ayew in an interview with GhanaWeb on the sidelines of the 2021 Ghana Football Awards said, whilst winning the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is the team’s ultimate goal, their focus is to ensure that Ghana does not miss out on the World Cup for the second time running.

He said, ending Ghana’s trophy drought will mean a lot to the careers of him and his colleague.

“We have a lot of teams who are crying for it (AFCON trophy) but we want it even more,” Ayew said after being named the Footballer of the Year at the Ghana Football Awards in Accra last Saturday.

“But before that, we have the World Cup qualification. We have six very important matches coming up; I don’t want to focus on what’s in six months because Ethiopia and South Africa are closer. That’s what the whole squad is focused on and we are going to make sure we get good results from those games and try to get to the playoffs before preparing for the AFCON,” he added.

The FIFA World Cup qualifiers have been slated for September and November, 2021, with the AFCON scheduled for January 9 to February 6, 2022.

Andre Ayew also spoke about the composition of the current Black Stars team, expressing his impression with the young talents in the team.

Ayew said, although the current team may lack the experience of the former team, it makes up for that with the level of talent and dedication.

“We have a very good squad, the talent is there, and maybe a little bit less experienced, but the desire to do good things is there and I can feel it when I’m with the boys in camp.

“To be successful, you need to be able to deal with pressure but I hope that as a squad we will be able to fulfil what the entire nation wants,” he stressed.