André Ayew has admoninshed his NAC Breda teamates to keep their “fighting spirit and determination” up” in their quest to survive relagation from the Dutch Eredivisie.
The for Ghana Captain marked his Eredivisie debut for NAC Breda with a point against Groningen on Saturday afternoon.
Denis Odoi, Kamal Sowah and Dede Ayew all featured in the game, with Ayew coming on in the 57th minute of the second half.
In the 57th minute, NAC coach Carl Hoefkens brought on 36-year-old new signing André Ayew. He played for Ghana, played in three World Cups, eight Africa Cups of Nations, and earned 120 international caps, and this was his Eredivisie debut.
NAC Breda started the new year with a creditable draw at FC Groningen. In a dull match in a freezing Groningen, the score remained 0-0. With the point, NAC handed last-place finish to FC Volendam.
As fifth-placed FC Groningen after the first half of the season, they were favorites to face eighteenth-placed FC Groningen, but that difference was barely visible at the Euroborg. In fact, the visitors had the better chances.
Denis Odoi came close to scoring with a header before half-time, and just after the break, Cherrion Valerius failed to create his own goal when one-on-one with goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen.
With the veteran signing, NAC made a bit of history. The club became only the fourth Eredivisie club to have three debutants aged 34 or older in a single season, after Elinkwijk, Fortuna ’54, and BVC Amsterdam in the 1956/1957 season. Earlier this season, Lewis Holtby (35) and Odoi (37) also made their debuts for NAC.
The game marked Ayew’s first competitive appearance since May 17, 2025, as he stepped onto the pitch for the first time in months.
“It’s good to be here. A new competition for me, but one with the necessary prestige. I’ve had good conversations with the club and received a warm welcome,” Ayew said.
“NAC feels like a great challenge for me, and of course, the role of the supporters at this club is also important. I have to compliment the supporters as well. The team is grateful to them for making the long journey.”
“I think this was a solid performance from NAC, and it was a great opportunity for me to make my debut. It was a fairly even match with chances for both teams. My header, after a good cross from Charles-Andreas Brym, could perhaps have been a bit better. I also need to get back to 100 percent fitness and get used to my teammates and our playing style. We showed fighting spirit and determination and we need to keep it up. Everything to keep NAC in the Eredivisie.” Ayew concluded.
