Ayew, who scored nine goals for the Black Stars and was a member of Ghana’s Olympic squad that won bronze in 1992, said he now “strikes for Jesus Christ.”
According to Ayew, he was born into poverty and his daily life was difficult. However, after seeing him play for his school team, two men approached him with a proposal, offering him big money to play football.
“Football has put me on a stage that attracts people like a magnet to hear the word of God which is life,” Ayew said. “My faith in Christ affected me as a footballer. One other way it affected me was to look at people. This led me to adopt six children. I live with four in this house and there are so many people I help.”
Despite his success on the football pitch, Ayew maintained that he wasn’t born to play football, but that football had helped him to a certain level. He added that his elder brother, Abedi Ayew Pele, who was also a successful footballer, had already made a name for himself, which led to more attention on him.
“People started hearing of me all over Africa…so all the attention was on me,” Ayew explained. “I wasn’t born to play football, I was born for football to help me to a certain level.”
Ayew also touched on his original dream of becoming a medical doctor, saying that he was unable to pursue it due to his family’s financial situation. However, he has now found a way to help people through his faith and his success in football.
“I played football as a soccer player but now I strike for Jesus Christ,” Ayew said.