<\/p>\n
Ghanaian defender Gideon Mensah has opened up about how Black Stars captain Andre Dede Ayew helped him cope with playing in the Black Stars team.<\/p>\n
In his narration, Mensah indicated that during the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar, Dede Ayew urged him to stay calm despite the pressure that comes with playing for the national team.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that the Le Havre attacker\u2019s words of motivation helped him adapt to the team and play without feeling nervous.<\/p>\n
Speaking in an interview with Flashscore, Mensah commended Dede Ayew for his impact on his career, especially with the Black Stars.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember during the warm-up, the captain Andre Ayew came to me. It was like head to head; his head was right in front of my forehead. He said, \u2018Listen, you\u2019ve been waiting for this. This is the moment where you need to show everybody\u2019s watching you. You can\u2019t make mistakes\u2014you can\u2019t let them down.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was something that really helped me a lot. After that speech, I forgot about everything else. Being on the field, I didn\u2019t think about whoever was watching; I was just focused on the game,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
During the 2022 World Cup, Mensah rose to the occasion and played a key role in Ghana\u2019s win over South Korea.<\/p>\n
His low cross led to Mohammed Kudus\u2019 winning goal as Ghana emerged winners in a thrilling 3-2 scoreline. <\/p>\n
However, it was not enough as the team exited the competition at the group stages.<\/p>\n
Watch the latest episode of Sports Check with renowned boxing trainer Don Charles<\/b><\/p>\n