Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew and Fatawu Issahaku relegated from EPL with Leicester City
Ghanaian internationals Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku have suffered the heartbreak of relegation from the English Premier League following Leicester City’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
The decisive blow came when Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold netted the only goal of the match, officially sealing Leicester’s fate with two games left in the season. The loss marks a dramatic collapse for the Foxes, who had returned to the top flight just this season after securing promotion at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
For Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew, the relegation represents an all-too-familiar reality. It is the third time in his career he has suffered the drop from the Premier League. His first came during the 2015/16 season with Aston Villa, followed by another in 2017/18 with Swansea City. The current fall with Leicester City completes an unfortunate hat-trick.
Ayew, who joined Leicester from Crystal Palace in August 2024 for £5 million, was brought in under former manager Steve Cooper in a bid to strengthen the squad after the departures of key figures like manager Enzo Maresca and star midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea.
Despite flashes of brilliance, Ayew’s impact proved insufficient. He managed four goals in 25 league appearances but has seen limited game time in recent weeks. Under current boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, the 32-year-old has been benched for the club’s last three matches, making just an 11-minute cameo against Manchester City on April 2.
Equally disheartened by Leicester’s relegation is 20-year-old Fatawu Issahaku. The promising winger had his season disrupted by an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, limiting him to just 11 league appearances. The setback has denied him a consistent run in the team and curtailed what many hoped would be a breakthrough campaign.
With Leicester now mathematically out of Premier League survival, both Ayew and Issahaku join fellow Ghanaian Kamaldeen Sulemana in the drop. Sulemana’s Southampton side had their relegation confirmed weeks ago, rounding off a difficult season for several Ghanaian players in the English top flight.
As the dust settles on another bruising campaign, the futures of Ayew and Issahaku remain uncertain. Whether they will remain with the Foxes in the Championship or seek new challenges elsewhere will be a key storyline in the weeks to come.
