Former Ghana Football Association President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, has named former Black Stars player Abedi Pele as the greatest Ghanaian player to ever play for the country.
The former President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) asserts that Pele is the greatest player to have ever represented Ghana and Africa because of his accomplishments in club and national football.
Abedi Pele played for Ghana 73 times and was the top goal scorer for the Black Stars with 33 goals until 7 June 2013 when he was surpassed by Asamoah Gyan.
Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, Nyantakyi described Pele as “brilliant” and indicated that other great players like Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, and Sulley Muntari would all testify to that. “Abedi Pele was just brilliant, and the likes of Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, and Sulley Muntari will all agree,” he said.
Recalling his childhood, the former first vice chairman of The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was struck by Pele’s abilities when he read about his achievements in the newspapers. He claims it made a deep influence on him that he even traveled great distances to watch Pele play for Ghana Premier League side Real Tamale United in Tamale.
“I used to read about him in the papers, and one day, I heard he was coming to play a game in Tamale and traveled miles away to watch, and he left an indelible ink in my mind. Abedi Pele was just a superb player,” he added.
Nyantakyi’s achievements in football administration are well-documented, having qualified Ghana for three consecutive Fifa World Cups in 2006, 2010, and 2014, and overseeing the Ghana U-20 team’s historic victory in the FIFA World Cup.
The current owner of Ghana division one side Nania Football Club, Abedi Pele was an integral member of the victorious AFCON 1982 team in Libya and also won numerous accolades throughout his career as a football professional, including three African Player of the Year awards.
His achievements brought him honors for both clubs and his nation; the most well-known of them was when Olympique Marseille won the UEFA Champions League in 1993.
Abedi Pele led Al Saad Club to the Qatar national championship in 1983. He later moved to France, where between 1986 and 1993, he played for Chamois Niortais, Mulhouse, Marseille, and Lille.
Abedi Pele then moved to Olympique Lyonnais in 1993. He played in Italy, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates before retiring in 1998.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Pius Asack|Ghana
