Former Zambia and Cote d’ Ivoire coach Herve Renard believes Black Stars forward Jordan Ayew is the “future” of Ghanaian football.
Ayew has been exceptional for his English Premier League side Crystal Palace this season, as he is the top scorer for the team scoring eight goals in 28 Premier League appearances, his best goals return since arriving in England in 2015.
The 28-year-old played in France for Marseille, Lorient and spent time on loan at Sochaux when Renard was coach of the team during the 2013/2014 Ligue 1 season.
Ayew made 17 appearances for Sochaux scoring five goals but was not enough to save the team from relegation to Ligue 2 as they finished in the 18th spot.
Renard says former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan is the past and Ayew is the future for the Ghanaian national team.
“Asamoah Gyan is the past and Jordan Ayew is the future. He is improving and he is working very hard. It is not easy to play in the Premier League and he is doing his best,” Renard said.
“He was my player at Sochaux in the 2013/ 2014 season and he was very young at the time.
“He does not talk a lot but he is very clever and I like his spirit. He is in my heart and I see him as a son among the Black Stars players.”
Ayew made his international debut with the Ghana national team in 2010, in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier victory against Swaziland.
He has made 61 international caps scoring 17 goals. Ayew has played in for AFCON tournaments; 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2019. He was also part of the Black Stars team that made it to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Renard has been around the African continent, coaching Angola, Zambia, Cote d’ Ivoire, and Morocco.
The French tactician has won two AFCON trophies, one with Zambia in 2012 and the other with Cote d’ Ivoire in 2015.
He has been widwely tipped to take over the vacant role of Ghana coach after the Ghana Football Association parted ways with former coach Kwesi Appiah.
He took Morocco to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and he currently coaches the Saudi Arabia national team.
