Ghana captain Jordan Ayew has described his upcoming World Cup meeting with England as a “special game,” with the striker viewing the encounter as a return to what he calls his “third home.”
The West African side, Ghana, face England on Tuesday, June 23 at Gillette Stadium in their second Group L fixture, having begun their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory.
Ayew’s emotional connection to English football runs deep. He has spent much of his professional career in England, featuring for Aston Villa, Swansea City, Crystal Palace and Leicester City over an 11-year spell.
During his most recent stint at Leicester City, he contributed nine goal involvements—six goals and three assists—despite a difficult season that ended in relegation to League One. Still, the forward insists his attention is firmly fixed on international duty.
In an interview with FIFA.com, Ayew reflected on his ties to English football and the motivation it brings.
“It’s going to be a special game. I’ve been there for 10 years; it’s like my third home because France is my second home,” Ayew said.
“They’ve been good to me. There have been ups and downs, I’ve experienced everything there, and I have really, really enjoyed my time there. I’m still enjoying it, and hopefully there are more years to come.”
“We have to prove ourselves, and we have to show that we have quality, and we have to be ready for the challenge.
“We all know it’s going to be difficult, but we are ready. Obviously, I know people don’t think that we will do well, so that is good.
“I like it when people think like that. We will see when we get there,” he added.
Ayew played a key role in Ghana’s qualification campaign, registering 14 goal contributions—seven goals and seven assists—the joint-highest in CAF qualifying alongside Algeria’s Mohammed Amoura.
However, Ghana’s recent World Cup record remains a concern, with just one win in their last seven matches at the tournament.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz will hope to build on the opening victory as Ghana push for a place in the knockout stages, which they have not reached since their memorable run in 2010.
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 GMT, with Ghana knowing that another positive result could move them closer to the last 16 ahead of their final Group L fixture against Croatia on June 27.
