Gideon Mensah Discloses Andre Ayew's Inspiring Message to Him on World Cup Debut

• Ghanaian defender Gideon Mensah has opened up on Andre Ayew's leadership during the World Cup in Qatar
• The AJ Auxerre defender made his debut at the competition in the second group game against South Korea
• Mensah is expected to be named in the Black Stars squad for the AFCON qualifiers against Angola and Niger

Defender Gideon Mensah has shared how Black Stars captain Andre Ayew helped him make his World Cup debut in Qatar.

The France-based left-back made his first appearance at the global showpiece in Ghana's victory over South Korea.

Mensah excelled at the left side of defense but was replaced late in the match after picking a knock.

According to the Auxerre player, he felt nervous during warm up but Ayew's message fired him up for the crucial encounter.

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"I remember during the warm-up, the captain Andre Ayew came to me,” Mensah told Flashscore, as quoted by 3 News.

“It was like head to head; his head was right in front of my forehead. He said, ‘Listen, you’ve been waiting for this. This is the moment where you need to show everybody’s watching you. You can’t make mistakes—you can’t let them down.’

“That was something that really helped me a lot,” he reflected. “After that speech, I forgot about everything else. Being on the field, I didn’t think about whoever was watching; I was just focused on the game.”

Mensah missed the final group match against Uruguay as the Black Stars lost to the South Americans, as reported by The Guardian.

Mensah becomes mainstay at Black Stars

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After years of playing a substitute role, deputising the experienced Baba Rahman, the 26-year-old finally made the position his own.

Mensah has been Ghana's first-choice left-back since Rahman decided to stay away from the team.

The WAFA graduate was part of Ghana's team at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, starting all three group matches.

Mensah opens up on failed Barca move

Earlier, Yen.com.gh reported that Ghanaian left-back Gideon Mensah has disclosed why his move to Barcelona in 2019 fell through despite agreement between his representatives and the Spanish giants.

Mensah was supposed to join the Catalan giants as a back up for club legend Jordi Alba while growing through the ranks at Red Bull Salzburg.

The defender had caught the attention of the La Liga side after starring in the UEFA Youth Champions League with the Austrian giants.

Source: YEN.com.gh