A Name to Remember: Andre Dede Ayew

There are very few of us that ever have to follow in the footsteps of a legendary father. Heck, my dad has never blogged a day in his life so I have no pressure at all. Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew is not so lucky. The son of legendary Ghana star Abedi Pele has had the spotlight on him since a young age.

This week the 17-year-old Ayew signed a three-year contract with Olympique de Marseille. He first caught the attention of the French club that his father for in the early 90s when he was a mere 15 years old. His time with the youth squad was enough to convince Marseille to sign him to a senior squad contract.

A midfielder, Ayew is said to possess some of his father’s skills, but he makes it clear that there it isn’t fair to compare him to a legend at this point in his career. “It is definitely a hard act to follow in the footsteps of the maestro Abedi Pele – there can only be one,” Dede said. “But I want to make him proud by turning into a world class player and I am confident that I am capable. I promise Ghana and Africa that I will not lose my head and I will represent the continent in a positive way.”

Do you suppose he addresses his father as Maestro on a regular basis?

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to track down video of Ayew in action so instead you’ll have to take a look at some blurry footage of Abedi Pele and dream that the son might someday offer a bit of the same magic.

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Category: Africa, French Ligue 1, World Football