The 31-year-old’s transfer to Qatar has been described as a positive move for the Black Stars
Former Ghana international Sola Ayew believes Andre Ayew’s move to Qatari side Al Sadd could be a good omen for the nation’s pursuit of international titles.
On Thursday, Andre signed a deal which keeps him in Doha for the next two years, with an option to extend for a further one year.
The transfer comes three months before Ghana begin their 2022 World Cup qualifiers and their quest for the Africa Cup of Nations gold in January.
“It [Al Sadd move] could be that the Qatar move will be the luck the country needed to ensure we win a title in the coming years and I believe something good will come from it,” Sola, nephew of Andre, told Ashh FM.
According to media speculation, Thursday’s deal will see the Ghanaian captain receive a monthly salary of $220,000 (€186,514.39).
That will put him among the top African football earners in the world.
“It’s the dream of every footballer who believes has achieved it all in the game to move to secure the money, and that is the case of Andre too,” Sola, who also once played in Qatar, remarked.
“This is not the first time the family has seen someone move to Qatar, considering Abedi Pele and myself once played there before moving to Europe. It’s not something new in our family.”
Andre’s transfer has been criticised by a section of fans who believe the transfer has been made possible because of the reported windfall, and go on to cite previous criticism of Abedi Pele, Andre’s father, as reference.
The attacker was reportedly courted by English side Crystal Palace and some other teams in Turkey before settling on the Qatari club.
Also, there have been concerns that the perceived low quality of the Qatari league could impact the 31-year-old’s form ahead of the upcoming major international assignments.
“Sometimes situations make us take certain decisions, so we all support him to play in the country. It’s not about his form but about enjoying football in Qatar,” Sola explained.
Last season, Andre scored 17 times in 46 league appearances for Swansea in their run to the Championship play-off final where they lost to Brentford and missed out on Premier League promotion.
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