United States, Ayew assisted on the game-winning goal scored by Asamoah Gyan after sending a –pass into the United States defense, which Gyan collected and then converted. For his performance in the match, Ayew was named Man of the Match by FIFA. Ayew missed the team's quarter-final defeat on penalties to Uruguay due to yellow card accumulation. He went on to play in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring against Mali and Tunisia, as the Black Stars finished in fourth place. In February 2013, Ayew retired from international football after a dispute with the Ghana Football Association. However, he returned to the team for a World Cup qualifier against Zambia on 6 September. He then went on to start in both legs of Ghana's 7–3 aggregate play-off defeat of Egypt to secure qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 2 June 2014, Ayew was named in Ghana's squad for the World Cup. In the team's opening match, he scored an 82nd minute equalising goal against the United States in an eventual 2–1 defeat. He then scored the Black Stars' first goal in a 2–2 draw with Germany in their second group match. On 19 January 2015, Ayew scored Ghana's first goal of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in a 2–1 loss to Senegal. Ayew is currently the captain of the Black Stars. On 3 January 2022, Ayew was named in Ghana's 28-man final squad for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana lost their first match at the tournament against Morocco, which Ayew played the full 90 minutes. He would however score a goal in Ghana's second group game, a 1–1 draw against Gabon. In Ghana's third game Ayew was sent off during the course of an unexpected 3–2 defeat to the Comoros, with Ghana finishing bottom of their group of four. Ayew helped Ghana qualify for the 2022 World Cup, where they were placed in Group H. His participation at the tournament made Ayew the only Ghanaian player to feature at the nation's last three World Cups. In Ghana's first game of the group stage, Ayew scored his side's first goal of the competition, equalizing in the 73rd minute to bring the score to 1–1 during the course of an eventual 3–2 defeat against Portugal. Following a 3–2 victory over South Korea, Ghana required a win or draw in their final group match against Uruguay