Birthday joy for Marseille´s Ayew

Ghanaian international Andre Ayew has extended his contract at Marseille until 2015.

Ayew, who turned 22 on Saturday, has been rewarded for a series of impressive performances this season with a one-year extension to his current deal.

Ayew, who has scored six league goals this season, has helped Marseille recover from a disappointing start to their domestic campaign.

He scored a late equaliser against Borussia Dortmund earlier this month, as Didier Deschamps’s charges came from behind to win their matchday six encounter against the German champions and qualify for the UEFA Champions League knockout stage.

Ayew, whose brother Jordan is also on Marseille’s books, has strong ties to the club he joined as an academy graduate in 2007 as he is the son of former Marseille and Ghana striker Abedi Pele.

Regarded as one of the club’s brightest prospects Ayew, who was a FIFA Under-20 World Cup winner with Ghana in 2009, has scored 16 goals in 62 league appearances and been on target three times in Europe’s premier club competition this term.

Marseille, who moved up to eighth place in Ligue 1 with a last-gasp win against Lorient on Saturday, will host FC Internazionale Milano in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie on February 22, with the return in Milan on March 13.