Andre Ayew may not have finished the year as he would have liked following the Black Stars' early exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The goal was to reach the semi-finals, but the four-time African champions faltered in the first round, failing to qualify from a tough group that included Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Andre Ayew, who is usually dependable, missed a penalty in the final group game against Uruguay, and it cost the Black Stars qualification.
Regardless, it has been a fantastic year for the former Swansea City and Marseille star, one in which he has accomplished much and won the hearts of many.
As the year comes to a close, we look back at the captain's most notable accomplishments.
AFCON RECORD
In January, Andre Ayew became Ghana's all-time leading scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He scored Ghana's first goal of the Cameroon tournament against Gabon to break the record of 10 goals.
In addition, he surpassed Egypt's Ahmed Hassan on the all-time AFCON appearance list, and is now only two games away from breaking the record held by Cameroonian star Rigobert Song.
GHANA RECORD
Andre Ayew made history in November, just before the World Cup, when he became the first Ghanaian to play 110 matches for the senior national team, Black Stars. He set a new record by becoming Ghana's most-capped player, and he was widely praised by Ghanaians.
He accomplished the feat in a pre-World Cup friendly against Switzerland, and the Ghana Football Association presented him with a commemorative jersey after the game.
"The passion, desire and commitment have been the same since the first cap. Can’t say how happy I am to achieve this amazing feat of representing my beloved country for all these years,” Andre Ayew reacted.
The record is currently at 113 games.
THIRD GHANAIAN TO SCORE IN MULTIPLE WORLD CUPS
Andre Ayew became the third Ghanaian to score in multiple World Cups with his goal against Portugal in the Black Stars opener in Qatar.
The Al Sadd forward made a brilliant run into the box in the second half to tap home Mohammed Kudus' deflected cross for Ghana, but Ghana lost the thriller 3-2.
With the goal, he became the third Ghanaian player to score in more than one World Cup tournament, joining Asamoah Gyan (2006, 2010, 2014) and Sulley Muntari (2006, 2010).
The 33-year-old, who scored two goals in the 2014 tournament in Brazil, has three World Cup goals, and only Asamoah Gyan has scored more (6).
André Ayew becomes the third Ghanaian to score in multiple World Cups after Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari. #PORGHA #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/RJI8yLTJJQ
— Football24/7 (@foet247europa) November 24, 2022
AFRICA’S FIRST GOAL AT THE 2022 WORLD CUP
Andre Ayew scored Africa’s first goal at the 2022 World when he equalised for Ghana in their 3-2 loss to Portugal.
After Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Cameroon all failed to find the target in their opening games, Andre Ayew found the net to become the continent's first scorer in Qatar.
Africa’s first goal of the 2022 #FIFAWorldCup goes to Andre Ayew.
📺 Stream #FIFAWorldCup live: https://t.co/Tg69y0m5GD pic.twitter.com/KtmHwwHymg— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 24, 2022
Source: Ghanasoccernet.com
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