Gideon Mensah’s journey to the World Cup was already a remarkable feat, but his debut on the world stage became even more memorable thanks to the guidance of Ghanaian captain Andre Ayew. Although the young left-back had made his Black Stars debut in 2019, the atmosphere of the World Cup in Qatar was an entirely different challenge, one that almost overwhelmed him.

Mensah watched from the bench during Ghana’s opener against Portugal, but he was given a starting spot in the crucial second game against South Korea. During the warm-up, nerves began to creep in as he prepared to play on the biggest stage of his career. Sensing his anxiety, Ayew approached him in a powerful moment of captain-to-teammate motivation.

In a recent interview with Flashscore, Mensah vividly described the moment: “The captain came to me, standing face to face, his forehead almost touching mine. He said, ‘Listen, you’ve been waiting for this. This is the moment where you need to show everybody’s watching you. You can’t make mistakes—you can’t let them down.’”

Those words proved transformative. Filled with renewed focus and confidence, Mensah delivered a standout performance, helping Ghana clinch a thrilling 3-2 victory that kept their dreams alive, even if briefly, as they later fell to Uruguay.

Since his World Cup debut, the 26-year-old Mensah has become a dependable player for Ghana, now boasting 19 international appearances, and continues to build on the foundation of Ayew’s impactful advice.