Pastor Lawrence Tetteh, Please End the Crusade for Dede Ayew’s Return

Dear Pastor Lawrence Tetteh,
I have followed your public calls for Dede Ayew to be recalled to the Black Stars ahead of the World Cup. I respect your passion for Ghana and your influence as a man of God. But with all due respect, I am pleading with you to end this crusade.

1. Ghanaians Have Already Prayed for a New Beginning

Many of us who genuinely love the Black Stars spent years praying for a reset—praying for unity, discipline, and a team that plays for Ghana, not for personalities. Those prayers were answered through Coach Otto Addo’s bold decisions. Since Dede Ayew was set aside, we have seen a younger, hungrier, and more cohesive team emerge.

Your campaign to reverse that feels like an attempt to undo what many believe was a divine correction. You cannot stand against the collective prayers of millions who asked God for a new direction.

2. What Exactly Does Dede Ayew Offer Today?

Pastor, if we are to support this recall, then let us be honest: what does Dede Ayew bring to the current Black Stars beyond dramatics on the pitch and the occasional opportunistic goal?

• Position: At 37, he no longer commands any single role. He has been shifted across positions—wing, attacking midfield, false 9, even deep midfield—yet none with the dominance of Kudus, Semenyo, or Williams today.
• Team Performance: Since the team moved away from building around him, younger players have stepped up, taken responsibility, and played with freedom.
• Leadership: Leadership is more than an armband. Many fans believe the captaincy became a source of tension, especially during the Asamoah Gyan saga before AFCON 2019. We remember the history—just as we remember the echoes of Senegal ’92 involving his father, Abedi Ayew.

If the only argument is “experience,” then we have experienced players in Europe who are younger, fitter, and in better form.

3. The Black Stars Need a Future, Not Nostalgia

The World Cup is not a farewell tour. It is a battlefield for players who can press, track back, and sustain intensity for 90 minutes. Our problem in 2022 was not a lack of motivational speeches—it was a lack of legs in midfield and a clear tactical identity.

Otto Addo and his technical team are building a system-first squad. Modern football demands it. Senegal did it. Morocco did it. South Korea did it. Ghana must do the same.

4. This Is a Plea, Not an Attack
Pastor, we know you love Ghana. But this crusade risks dividing the fan base again at a critical moment. Football in Ghana is fragile. If the team fails with Dede Ayew recalled, you will be blamed. If the team succeeds without him, the question will be why he was forced back into the conversation.

Let the coach choose based on form, fitness, and tactics. Let the past remain the past. Let the prayers for a renewed Black Stars stand.

Use your pulpit to unite Ghanaians behind the current squad—not to reopen old wounds. The Black Stars belong to 33 million people, not to one family or one era.

Please, Pastor, end the crusade. Let God’s answer through Otto Addo be enough.

Signed:
Ibrahim Hardi Landlord, Concerned Ghanaian Football Fan

We pray for Ghana. We pray for the Black Stars. We pray for wisdom.