Recent signs are in the Black Stars camp are pointing to the fact that winger Andre Ayew is set to be named the Ghana stand-in captain for the matches against Uganda and Togo.
Maxwell Konadu’s side play their 2015 Nations Cup group qualifier in Kampala and against Togo next week without substantive captain Asamoah Gyan who is out because of injury.
There is intense speculation about who will lead the side in Gyan's absence but recent events in the Black Stars public events shows Ayew will get the nod.
Signs became clear of the leadership band heading the direction of the youngster since the Black Stars opened camp on Tuesday with the Marseille given the role to address the press on the first day.
This role is normally reserved for the captain which has sparked the suspicion that he will be named to lead the side in the absence of Gyan.
Ayew was also given the chance to lead the side in another public event on Wednesday night as he was the only player to address guests at the Unibank presentation to the Black Stars on Wednesday night.
This shows that Ayew is likely to lead the side has coach Maxwell Konadu expected to make a call about it in the coming hours.
The absence of experienced players, such as the AC Milan duo of Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, both suspended, makes Ayew the most suitable candidate to be handed the captain’s armband in the important qualifier, which Ghana needs a win to seal qualification to next year’s Nations Cup.
Long touted as a future captain of the Stars in recognition of his leadership qualities on the field, having captained Ghana to win the FIFA Under-20 Championship in 2009, the Olympique Marseille midfielder takes up a huge responsibility as team leader for the penultimate qualifying match at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
The 24-year-old, who scored Ghana’s equalising goal against Uganda in Kumasi last September and again struck in the team’s 2-1 home win over Guinea last month, leads a side depleted also by the absence of his younger brother, Jordan, who is suspended from the Uganda match, but expected to return next week against Togo.
Except for the substantive captain and the suspended Milan duo, the Marseille star is currently the most experienced player in the national team having represented Ghana in three African Nations Cup and two FIFA World Cup tournaments. He has scored eight goals – four this year -- in 56 appearances since making his international debut seven years ago.
A toddler when his legendary father Abedi Pele first captained the national team at the 1992 Nations Cup in Senegal, Ayew joined his team-mates as they began preparation at the Accra stadium yesterday afternoon ahead of the team’s departure for Kampala today.