Jordan Ayew takes centre stage as Ghana end 16-year wait for another World Cup knockout game
For almost his entire international career, Jordan Ayew has lived in the shadow of Ghana's greatest FIFA World Cup generation.
On Friday, in Kansas City, against Colombia, he finally gets the opportunity that his predecessors enjoyed in 2010: A World Cup knockout match.
It's a remarkable full-circle moment for one of Ghana's most enduring internationals.
He watched them as a teenager, celebrated them as a younger brother, then spent the next 16 years wondering whether the Black Stars would ever return to those heights.
When Ghana defeated the United States in the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup, before suffering that unforgettable quarterfinal defeat by Uruguay, Jordan was still two months away from making his international debut.
Two of his older brothers -- André and Rahim Ayew -- were present in the squad, with 'Dede' already emerging as one of Africa's brightest talents, while the family name was already synonymous with Ghanaian football through their legendary father Abedi Pele.
Jordan was simply a teenager, preparing for club football with Olympique de Marseille, even though there were already whispers about his talent.
He still remembers the extra-time victory over the USA -- and Asamoah Gyan's thumping winner -- as vividly as though it was yesterday.
"Sixteen years ago, I remember exactly where I was," he told ESPN. "I was at the airport going for pre-season with Marseille. Obviously, that was when Ghana won the game against USA, so yeah, it was amazing."
Andre Ayew takes on the USA's Landon Donovan at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
Those memories have stayed with him throughout an extensive international career -- no player has ever made more appearances for the Black Stars -- with the striker becoming a living bridge between two eras.
He's simultaneously become the final link to the golden generation that reached the quarterfinals in South Africa and the experienced leader of a new group attempting to write their own legacy at the tournament under Carlos Queiroz.
There have been plenty of disappointments along the way. Ghana failed to progress beyond the group stage at the 2014 or 2022 editions, missing the 2018 World Cup altogether, while defeat in Africa Cup of Nations finals has been replaced by failure to qualify for the tournament altogether.
The aura created by the team led by the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Dede, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah was gradually replaced by frustration from supporters accustomed to seeing Ghana compete among Africa's elite.
Now back in the knockouts, Jordan is determined to bring back the joyful memories that that side wrote once upon a time.
"Those are the moments we want to bring back to our country," he added. "We know that it's been a while now. People in our country have not been too pleased.
"We are trying, we are getting there slowly. We make sure tomorrow will be the first step to bring joy to the country."
Ayew has outlasted several generations of teammates, earning over 120 international caps, while adapting his role from exciting young forward to experienced mentor.
He's witnessed managerial changes, tactical tweaks, unsavoury scandals and fluctuating fortunes, yet remains a constant presence within the national-team set-up.
Despite becoming the elder statesman of the squad, he still draws inspiration from the brother in whose footsteps he first followed when he arrived on the international scene.
"[Andre] is my brother, he's my blood, my big brother," Jordan told ESPN. "Of course, I take his advice and he encourages me, the team, and he's supportive. There's nothing else to say about it. It's a normal thing."
If Jordan represents continuity, then the likes of Antoine Semenyo have breathed new life into the Ghana setup, with the Manchester City man determined to help the Black Stars end their spell in the wilderness and restore the good times back to the national side.
"A lot of pundits wrote us off," Semenyo told journalists, "but it's just opinion at the end of the day. We know what we can do as a team."
Antoine Semenyo is one of Ghana's key potential weapons in their World Cup clash with Colombia. Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
He credits the coaching team - and the belated April arrival of Queiroz - with transforming Ghana into a more resilient unit who can not only reach the World Cup knockouts, but who can realistically aim to dispatch Colombia to progress.
"The manager came in and brought his philosophy. It worked perfectly," Semenyo explained.
"We're a lot more defensively solid and create chances. Before, I'd like to think we scored goals but conceded a lot as well. Now everyone's focused, we're hard to break down, which is great."
The newfound defensive discipline has underpinned Ghana's progress through the group stage - they were one of only four teams not to concede in their first two matches - and offers hope against a Colombia side currently ranked 11th in the world.
Ayew is less focused on narratives and more on execution as Ghana look to bounce back from their final Group L game - a 2-1 defeat by Croatia - to advance to the Last 16.
"It'll be a big game and we're ready. We've been growing in the tournament," he concluded, "and we want to put on a show, make sure we win. That's the most important thing for us.
"It's a World Cup and you always want to win and keep the winning streak and the positivity going. We're giving it our best shot, and learning from our mistakes and experience."
The experience of Jordan and Queiroz may be among Ghana's greatest assets as they look to upset a team over 40 places ahead of them in the FIFA World Rankings to progress.
For youngster teammates, the 34-year-old is a player who's seen all there is to see in international football. For Ghanaian supporters, he's the last active connection to the team who wrote those magical nights in South Africa, where a continent dared to believe that the Black Stars would reach the final four.