Former Black Stars defender Rahim Ayew has admitted that the exploits of his father, the legendary Abedi Ayew Pele, place significant pressure on his children to excel in their football careers.

He explained that people have huge expectations for them to replicate their father’s successes, which sometimes weighs heavily on them.

The ex-Black Stars defender noted that accusations often arise suggesting that some of his brothers play at the national level only because of their father’s legacy. As a result, they constantly feel compelled to deliver outstanding performances to silence critics.

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“You want to do well as an individual player, so you already have that pressure and those nerves. You want to perform. Then comes the name [Abedi Pele]. Everyone knows who you are when you are playing. People say, ‘He’s there because of his father.’

“So, we had that pressure. And that pressure will always be there. Even after your career, you still carry it, because people will be looking at how you live your life and how you conduct yourself every day. You understand?” he said in an interview with 3Sports.

Rahim added that the pressure is likely to continue across generations, as the successes of his brothers André Dede Ayew and Jordan Ayew, who captained the national team, will also add to the expectations placed on their children in the future.

“That pressure will also be there for our children because of their grandfather and their father. Whether you like it or not, the pressure and the nerves will always be there,” he noted.

SB/JKB

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