Abedi Ayew Pele
Abedi Pele in 2007
Personal information
Full name Abedi Ayew
Date of birth (1964-11-05) 5 November 1964
Place of birth Kibi, Eastern Region, Ghana
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1970–1978 Great Falcons
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1982 Real Tamale United 46 (21)
1982–1983 Al Sadd 8 (7)
1983–1984 Zürich 18 (9)
1984 Dragons l'Ouémé 8 (11)
1985 Real Tamale United 19 (7)
1986–1987 Niort 32 (14)
1987 Mulhouse 16 (5)
1987–1993 Marseille 112 (23)
1988–1990 → Lille (loan) 61 (16)
1993–1994 Lyon 29 (3)
1994–1996 Torino 49 (11)
1996–1998 1860 Munich 50 (2)
1998–2000 Al Ain 31 (28)
Total 479 (159)
International career
1982–1998 Ghana 73 (19)
Managerial career
2004– Nania (Head Coach and President)
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing  Ghana
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner1982 Libya
Runner-up1992 Senegal
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Abedi Ayew (/əˈbeɪdi əˈjuː/ ə-BAY-dee ə-YOO; born 5 November 1964), known professionally as Abedi Pele, is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and who served as captain of the Ghana national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time.[2][3] He played for several European clubs and found his fame in the French Ligue 1 with Lille and Marseille, the latter where he won the UEFA Champions League in 1993, among other titles.[4] He was also the first to win CAF award in 1992.

Early life

Abedi Ayew was born into a family in the town of Kibi and grew up in the town of Dome at the northern outskirts of the city Accra.[5]

He attended Ghana Senior High School in Tamale. He was given the nickname "Pelé" due to his ability in football, which evoked comparisons to the late Brazilian athlete Pelé.[6][7]

Club career

He was one of the first African players to make an impact on European club football. Abedi Pelé's nomadic career began with Real Tamale United in Ghana in 1978.[6] He left Ghana after the 1982 African Cup of Nations to join Al Sadd in Qatar for a $1,000 transfer fee.[8] After a short spell with FC Zürich, he returned to Ghana but, after both Kotoko and Hearts of Oak failed to sign him, joined AS Dragons FC de l'Ouémé in Benin. He would later return to Ghana and play for Real Tamale United for one season. He began his career in Europe with French side Chamois Niort, subsequently joining Marseille before transferring to Lille on loan.

At club level, he was a key figure in Marseille's dominance of the French league, resulting in four league championships and two European Cup finals appearances. At Marseille, he was a member of the team's "Magical Trio" along with Jean-Pierre Papin and Chris Waddle, spearheading perhaps Europe's strongest league side of the early 1990s, including a European Cup final defeat in 1991. Abedi was the only remaining member of the trio still with the side when Marseille defeated Milan in the 1993 Champions League final in Munich.

He later joined Lyon after his loan spell at Lille. He also played for Torino of Italy and rounded out his European career with 1860 Munich.[9]

Abedi Pele went on to sign a two-year contract with Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates and was nominated one of the best foreign players to play in the UAE league.

International career

Abedi Pele played for Ghana 73 times.[10] He was a fixture in the African Championships of the 1980s and '90s with his national team, and a member of Ghana's victorious team in the 1982 African Cup of Nations, but he never had an opportunity to play in the FIFA World Cup, as the Black Stars failed to qualify for the competition during his career. However, he was arguably the most dominant figure on the African football scene for nearly a decade. His performance in the 1992 African Cup of Nations, for which he was voted the player of the tournament, was particularly notable, as he scored in three successive rounds to help Ghana reach the final, but picked up a yellow card in the semi-final against Nigeria that meant he was suspended for the final; Ghana went on to lose on penalties to the Ivory Coast. The performance earned him the added nickname of "The African Maradona".

Abedi was one of the first African football players to earn a top placing in FIFA World Player of the Year voting, doing so in 1991 and 1992. He won the France Football African Player of the Year Award three consecutive years, was the inaugural winner of the BBC African Sports Star of the Year in 1992, and the corresponding Confederation of African Football award twice.

Abedi holds the record for most appearances at the African Cup of Nations. He made his first appearance at the in Libya in 1982 and continued to compete at the tournament for the next 16 years, his last appearance coming in the 1998 edition in Burkina Faso. Aside from his exploits at the 1992 competition, Abedi also earned much acclaim for his three goals at the 1996 competition, where he led Ghana to the semi-finals of the competition despite critics expecting him to be in the twilight of his career.

After retirement

Abedi Pele in December 2007

Ayew has participated in more FIFA organized charity matches than any other African player. Abedi Pele is a member of FIFA's Football Committee, and of the player status committees of both FIFA and CAF. That explains why the South African FA made him a Spokesperson for their 2006 World Cup bid.

In appreciation of Abedi's devout services to the country, the Ghanaian government awarded him the country's highest honour, the Order of the Volta (civil division). He thus became the first Ghanaian sportsman to be so honoured.

CAF-UEFA All Star

Amongst his international accolades, he was often included in FIFA "All-Star" selections and captained the African All-Stars in their victory over their European counterparts in the 1997 Meridian Cup.

On 29 January 1997, the first UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup All-Star Match between Europe and Africa was played in Benfica's Estádio da Luz in Lisbon and was televised in 100 countries worldwide, including 30 in Africa, for an audience of 60 million viewers. Abedi Pele scored a goal early in the first half and, after Vincent Guérin had equalised for Europe just before half-time, it was the 1998 African Player of the Year, Mustapha Hadji, who struck Africa's 78th-minute winner in the 2–1 win.[11]

In 2001, the UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup All-Star Match format was changed slightly for the second All-Star Match to bring together players aged between 35 and 45 who now revel in their 'veteran' status and play the game purely for pleasure. The squad sparked off memories of great footballing moments at club and international level.[11]

Football Ambassador

In June 2001 he was nominated by the present government of Ghana to serve as the next Chairman of the FA, an opportunity he later gave up for a more experienced former coach of Ghana for which in his own words said that this was to be an opportunity to learn from his superiors.

At present he owns a first division club, called Nania, with the future hopes of nurturing the young talent to augment the fledgling league of the country. He has also been involved with various charity work across the African continent.

Controversy

Abedi Pele was embroiled in a serious alleged Second Division Promotion Play-off bribery scandal[12] for which the Ghana Football Association found him and others guilty. The guilty verdict attracted fines and suspensions of Abedi and others, but these have been quashed by the Appeals Committee of the Football Association after determining that there were irregularities in the initial judgement[13] of the Ghana Football Association. The allegations stem from an astonishing 31–0 victory[14] recorded by his club, Nania FC over a much respected Okwawu United side. A similarly farcical 28–0 result[15] was recorded in another second division match played between Great Mariners and Tudu Mighty Jets on the same weekend. The clubs involved in that Second Division Promotion Play-off Zone III match were also investigated and subject to the prospect of stiff penalties and demotions. Despite his vehement denials,[16] Abedi had been chastised by some members of the Ghanaian media, who were demanding that strong punitive actions be taken against him, by Ghana's football governing body as well as the legal system.[17] His wife Maha Ayew was on 3 November 2008 banned from football against this Manipulations Scandal.[18]

Style of play

As a playmaker, Pele was known for his speed, close control, and dribbling skills, as well as his passing and goalscoring ability. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or as a forward. He was also given the nicknames the "Maestro" and "The African Maradona."[2][3][19][20][21]

Personal life

Abedi is the brother of Kwame and Sola Ayew (ex-Hearts of Oak and Black Meteors). He is also the father of André, Jordan, Rahim, Imani, and is married to Maha. His sons, Ibrahim, André and Jordan, have also become internationals for Ghana. André and Rahim – represented Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa while Jordan and André represented Ghana in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[22]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[1]
Club Season
Division Apps Goals
Real Tamale United 1980 Ghana Premier League 110
1981 Ghana Premier League 127
1982 Ghana Premier League 2314
Total 4621
Al Sadd 1982–83 Qatar Stars League 87
FC Zürich 1983–84 Nationalliga A 189
Dragons l'Ouémé 1984 Benin Premier League 811
Real Tamale United 1985 Ghana Premier League 197
Niort 1986–87 Division 2 3214
Mulhouse 1987–88 Division 2 165
Marseille 1987–88 French Division 1 50
1988–89 French Division 1 40
1990–91 French Division 1 325
1991–92 French Division 1 3612
1992–93 French Division 1 356
Total 11223
Lille (loan) 1988–89 French Division 1 247
1989–90 French Division 1 379
Total 6116
Lyon 1993–94 French Division 1 293
Torino 1994–95 Serie A 3210
1995–96 Serie A 171
Total 4911
1860 Munich 1996–97 Bundesliga 251
1997–98 Bundesliga 251
Total 502
Al Ain 1998–99 UAE Football League 2017
1999–2000 UAE Football League 1111
Total 3128
Career total 479157

Honours

Player

Marseille

Al Ain[23]

Ghana

Individual

Orders

Manager

Nania

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Abedi Pele at National-Football-Teams.com
  2. 1 2 Ottmar Hitzfeld picks Abedi Pele as Africa's All-time best player
  3. 1 2 The 50 Greatest African Players of All Time
  4. ↑ "Ghana and Marseille legend Abedi Pele breaks down during nostalgic television broadcast| Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  5. ↑ Tawiah, Augustina (6 July 2006). "Abedi Pelé Stands Tall In African Football History". Graphic Ghana News. Graphic Communications Group. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2007. Abedi Ayew Pelé was born and bred in a small village called Oko near Dome on 5 November 1964
  6. 1 2 "Abedi Ayew Pelé | Ghanaian athlete". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  7. ↑ Ibrahimah, Seidu (13 March 2015). "Ghanasco, Tamale, Sends Out Distress Call To Her Sons And Daughters". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Interview with Ali Behzad" (in Arabic). al-watan.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Arnhold, Matthias (27 October 2022). "Abédi Ayew PELÉ – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Mamrud, Robert (27 October 2022). "Abedi "Pelé" Ayew – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  11. 1 2 "All-Stars clash kick off in Bari". Meridian Cup. UEFA. 1 February 2001. Archived from the original on 12 March 2004. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  12. ↑ "Scandalous Middle League Results". Ghana Football. Ghanaweb. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  13. ↑ "Suspensions Annulled". Ghana Football. Ghanaweb. 25 May 2007. Archived from the original on 27 May 2007. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
  14. ↑ "Third round results of the National Middle League". GhanaWeb. 28 March 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  15. ↑ "Mariners trounce Tudu Mighty Jets 28-0". GhanaWeb. 28 March 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  16. ↑ "Abedi defends 31–0 scoreline". Ghana Football. Ghanaweb. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  17. ↑ "Maestro Of Disgrace". Ghana Football. Ghanaweb. 3 April 2007. Archived from the original on 8 April 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  18. ↑ "(SPORTS- SOCCER) LOCAL: Ayew's wife banned from football". ghanadistricts.com. 3 November 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  19. ↑ Dove, Ed (9 May 2020). "African Legends Cup of Nations: Kanu vs Abedi Pele". Goal.com. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  20. ↑ Adjei, Michael Oti (16 March 2017). "Profiling Ghana's greatest footballers of all time". ESPN FC. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  21. ↑ Teye, Prince Narkortu (1 June 2020). "Ghana legend Abedi Pele: International sabbatical cost me African Footballer of the Year awards". Goal.com. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  22. ↑ Akwasi, Kofi (6 November 2019). "The rise of Abedi Pele". Yen.com.gh – Ghana news. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  23. ↑ Mohamed S. Chbaro and Mohammed Qayed (8 December 1999). "United Arab Emirates 1998/99". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2007.
  24. ↑ Bobrowsky, Josef (21 December 2000). "African Player of the Year 1991". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 9 January 2001. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  25. ↑ Pierrend, José Luis (5 January 2001). "African Player of the Year 1992". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  26. ↑ Pierrend, José Luis (5 January 2001). "African Player of the Year 1993". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  27. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel (30 January 2000). "Africa – Player of the Century". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  28. ↑ "IFFHS". IFFHS. 29 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  29. ↑ Pierrend, José Luis (29 November 2012). "World Player of the Year – Winners". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  30. ↑ Leme de Arruda, Marcelo (17 July 2012). "FIFA XI´s Matches – Full Info". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  31. ↑ "Legends". Golden Foot. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  32. ↑ "Abedi Pele honoured with Living Legends Award at 2022 GF Awards". GhanaWeb. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  33. ↑ "WAFUNIF/FUTBOLMASTERS Special Advisory Honorary Committee for the Futbol 4 Peace & Development Programme/Campaign" (PDF). Futbol 4 Peace & Development members list. The World Association of Former United Nations Internes and Fellows (WAFUNIF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2005. Retrieved 8 April 2007.
  34. ↑ "CAF release 30 best African players in the last 50 years". Official website. Confederation Africaine de Football. 20 February 2007. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  35. ↑ "Nania beat Kotoko to win FA Cup". Ghana Football Association. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  36. ↑ Dogbevi, Emmanuel (3 October 2011). "Abedi Pele's Nania FC complete double over Chelsea to win Super Cup". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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