The African Cup of Nations has kicked off and there are two very good reasons why Swansea City fans should be backing Ghana to lift the trophy.
The biannual event has seen significant changes this year with the competition expanded to 24 countries and for the first time ever it will be held in June and July.
A major international football tournament in the Egyptian summer may sound like a particularly brutal form of torture but on the plus side it should help prepare the players for the punishing heat of Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
With the Women’s World Cup, Copa America and Gold Cup also taking place at the moment, the African Cup of Nations will have to fight for the attention of football fans outside the continent but Swansea supporters may want to tune in because two of the club’s forgotten figures are set to play leading roles.
Andre and Jordan Ayew spent last season on loan with Fenerbahce and Crystal Palace respectively but they remain contracted to the Swans, much to everybody’s frustration. With the Swans still battling to make ends meet, the comparatively high-earning Ayew brothers’ continuing presence on the wage bill has become a real albatross around the club’s neck.
Swansea had loaded their squad with big-money flops during their final years in the Premier League, relying largely on the league’s enormous TV deal to fund wages. When they were relegated the club faced an enormous drop in income and had to sell as many top earners as possible.
Most of the club’s biggest names went in the ensuing fire sale but many remained, generally because no club was willing to take them. In May the club announced Leroy Fer, Luciano Narsingh, Wilfried Bony and Martin Olsson would all leave the club when their contracts ended this summer.
However that still left the likes of Jefferson Montero, Borja Baston and the two Ayew brothers, all of whom have contracts which run beyond next season. All of these players went on loan last season to ease the financial burden on the Swans but it’s pretty clear those running the club would prefer to get them off the books for good.
They’re some of the last remaining relics of Swansea’s calamitous top flight over-spending and they’re still proving hard to shift.
Montero’s injury record hampered his stint at West Brom last season and will probably deter many potential suitors while Borja’s uninspiring record of eight goals in the last three seasons for three separate clubs makes him a risky proposition for anybody looking to take a punt on him.
The club would have hoped these two could excel while on loan and entice bids from other clubs but it sadly wasn’t the case. The same goes for the Ayew brothers whose loan spells could be described as mediocre at best.
Jordan Ayew was in and out of the Crystal Palace side all season and managed just a single league goal and two assists.
His brother scored five goals at Turkish giants Fenerbahce but arguably endured an even worse season as fans turned on him and other high-profile underachievers as the club finished outside the European spots. It was one of the worst seasons in the club’s history.
Neither of them set the world alight while playing for their respective clubs last year so Swansea and the unwanted Ayews must rely on positive performances at the African Cup of Nations to attract attention from other clubs.
Andre is captain and other than veteran striker Asamoah Gyan, the two Ayews have more goals for the national side than anybody else in the current squad, so they should play a leading role for their country in this tournament.
Clubs across Europe will be keeping tabs on the African Cup of Nations so now would be a very good time for both Ayews to raise their games and catch the attention of some scouts.
If the pair can shine on the banks of the Nile the Swans would probably have a much easier job of trying to sell them.
This scenario would definitely suit Swansea but it would also probably suit the Ayews too. They’re earning very healthy wages while still contracted to the club but surely they would prefer to leave this summer if possible.
Further loan moves would mean yet more upheaval and less continuity which can’t be good for their careers.
Andre turns 30 this year and has struggled to find form ever since leaving Swansea for the first time in 2016. A player in his position should be looking for a move to rejuvenate his career.
Jordan is only 27 and should be in the prime of his career so again he shouldn’t be satisfied with the current situation and should be doing everything he can to engineer a move.
The Ayews have always shown plenty of national pride when representing Ghana but this year their personal circumstances should add that extra incentive to succeed and put their names on the top of some clubs’ shopping lists.
Swansea fans may want to keep a close eye on events in Egypt over the coming month. Results there could play a big part in the destiny of the two Ayews.
