Dede Ayew keen to emulate Abedi Pele

The Ayew brothers will play at CAN

When your father is an African football legend it's hard to follow in his footsteps, but Ghana's rising star Andre Ayew is now making a name for himself at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009.

 
The son of Abedi Pele, a three-timeAfrican Player of the Year who won the European Cup with Marseille in 1993,Ayew will lead out the Black Satellites in their quarter-final against KoreaRepublic, just 18 months after the teenager failed to cope with the pressureand expectation of playing for hosts Ghana at the African Cup of Nations.

 
"This tournament can really putme in the spotlight," the 19-year-old Ayew said in an interview with TheAssociated Press.

 
 "I hope this competition, and the fewmonths left until the winter break, will be a springboard for me."

 
By the age of 18, Ayew was playingfor Marseille in the UEFA Champions League and representing Ghana at theAfrican Cup of Nations.

 
However, he ultimately failed todeliver on his talents and is currently playing on loan for Arles-Avignon inFrance's second division.

 
"I was very young and hadeverything ahead of me, and perhaps I didn't deal with the situationproperly," Ayew said.

 
"There was a lot of pressure,that's true, but on the other hand I could have handled things better."

 
A raw player in 2008, Ayew isthriving as Ghana's Under-20 captain in Egypt.

 
"I can't say I'm the mostexperienced player in the world because I'm just 19, but the little I have Itry to bring it into the group," Ayew said, when asked what he brought tocoach Sallas Tetteh's team.

 
Playing behind two strikers, Ayew gotthe equaliser in a 2-1 win against South Africa, scored in the 4-0 rout ofEngland and almost got another with an acrobatic backheel volley.

"That's the freedom I have in mymind now. I wouldn't have tried that (volley) before," Ayew said.

 
His robust style and galloping runsfrom deep are a stark contrast to the inhibited winger who struggled withGhana's Black Stars, or for Marseille two seasons ago.

 
"I was playing withapprehension, (trying) not to lose the ball," said Ayew, who has 18 fullcaps.

 
"(Tetteh) gives me the freedomto do things. This freedom helps me to grow, and I need that."

 
Ayew sprinted over and jumped intoTetteh's arms after scoring against England - testimony that Tetteh is perhapschannelling the natural talent Ayew inherited from his father.

 
Abedi Ayew, commonly known as AbediPele during his career, was African Footballer of the Year (1991-93) and apioneer of African football, playing in Switzerland, Germany and France whenAfrican players were less widely sought after.

 
Ayew does not duck questions abouthis father, but answers them with pride.

 
"My father is a great man, headvised me a lot. He was there for me during the tough times," said Ayew,who has a younger brother on Marseille's books, and an older brother playingfor Zamalek in Cairo.

 
"I really hope I can impress (myfather), because he is counting a lot on me, my older brother, and my youngerbrother," Ayew said.

 
 "I'm not in the same position as a lot ofmy friends, who have to feed their families. We grew up in comfort, so thepride he has is seeing his children play at the highest level."

 
When Ayew struggled at Marseille andwas loaned to Lorient last season, he was being played out of position.

 
So his father advised him to drop adivision with Arles-Avignon, where he would be the team's catalyst rather thana spare part.

 
With plenty of team scouts watchingthe Under-20s in Egypt, Ayew knows that a good run for Ghana in the tournamentcould earn him a move in January's transfer window and he makes no secret ofhis ambition.

 
"I want to get back to thehighest level as quickly as possible," he said.