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The Black Stars and their skipper need to take a long hard look at themselves after Friday’s testy draw with Gabon.

Andre Ayew’s comments in the immediate aftermath of Gabon’s last-gasp draw with Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday left a sour taste, and while the 32-year-old can be forgiven for the emotion of the occasion, he should have known better than to react in such a way.

Dede, fuming after Gabon had played on—despite Ghana having a player allegedly injured on the turf and putting the ball out for him to receive treatment—let the occasion get the better of him as he labelled the Panthers a ‘small team’ after the match.

“It’s small on their part, it show they’re a small team,” he began. “It’s small of them and I’m disappointed in them.”

Ayew knows what’s he’s doing, he knows these headlines will do the rounds on Saturday, in the Ghanaian media and abroad, he knows that Gabon’s players will read them, that his own teammates will hear them, and that Black Stars supporters—some at least—will believe them.

But whatever Gabon may or may not be guilty of, nothing is as ‘small time’ as Ayew…and his Black Stars…right now.