Abedi Pele facts for kids
Abedi in 2007
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Abedi Ayew | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 November 1964 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Abedi Ayew (born 5 November 1964), known as Abedi Pele, is a famous Ghanaian former footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder and was the captain of the Ghana national team. Many people think he is one of the best African footballers ever. He played for several teams in Europe, becoming very well known in France with Lille and Marseille. With Marseille, he helped them win the UEFA Champions League in 1993. He was also the first player to win the CAF African Player of the Year award in 1992.
Contents
Early Life and Nickname
Abedi Ayew was born in a town called Kibi. He grew up in Dome, which is near the city of Accra.
He went to Ghana Senior High School in Tamale. People started calling him "Pelé" because he was so good at football. His skills reminded them of the legendary Brazilian player, Pelé.
Club Football Journey
Abedi Pele was one of the first African players to make a big impact in European club football. His journey began in Ghana with Real Tamale United in 1978.
Playing in Different Countries
After the 1982 African Cup of Nations, he moved to Al Sadd in Qatar. He also played for FC Zürich in Switzerland. He then returned to Ghana and played for Real Tamale United again. Later, he joined AS Dragons FC de l'Ouémé in Benin.
His European career truly started with the French team Chamois Niort. He then moved to Marseille and also played for Lille on loan.
Success with Marseille
At Marseille, Abedi Pele was a very important player. He helped the team win the French league four times. They also reached the European Cup final twice. He was part of Marseille's "Magical Trio" with Jean-Pierre Papin and Chris Waddle. This team was one of the strongest in Europe in the early 1990s.
Marseille lost the European Cup final in 1991. But Abedi Pele was still with the team when they won the Champions League final in 1993 against Milan in Munich.
Later European Clubs
After his time at Lille, he joined Lyon. He also played for Torino in Italy. He finished his European career with 1860 Munich in Germany.
Abedi Pele then signed a two-year contract with Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. He was considered one of the best foreign players in that league.
International Career with Ghana
Abedi Pele played for the Ghana national team 73 times. He was a key player for Ghana in the African Championships throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
African Cup of Nations Achievements
He was part of Ghana's winning team in the 1982 African Cup of Nations. However, he never got to play in the FIFA World Cup. The Black Stars (Ghana's national team nickname) did not qualify during his playing career.
His performance in the 1992 African Cup of Nations was amazing. He was voted the best player of the tournament. He scored in three games in a row, helping Ghana reach the final. Sadly, he received a yellow card in the semi-final against Nigeria. This meant he could not play in the final. Ghana lost the final to the Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout. Because of his great play, he was also called "The African Maradona".
Abedi Pele played in more African Cup of Nations tournaments than any other player. He first played in the tournament in 1982 and continued until the 1998 edition. Even in 1996, when many thought his career was ending, he scored three goals and led Ghana to the semi-finals.
Awards and Recognition
Abedi Pele was one of the first African footballers to rank highly in the FIFA World Player of the Year voting. He did this in 1991 and 1992. He won the France Football African Player of the Year Award three times in a row. He was also the first winner of the BBC African Sports Star of the Year in 1992.
Life After Playing Football
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After retiring from playing, Abedi Pele has been involved in many activities. He has played in more FIFA charity matches than any other African player. He is also a member of FIFA's Football Committee.
The government of Ghana gave him the country's highest honor, the Order of the Volta. He was the first Ghanaian sportsman to receive this award.
In 1997, Abedi Pele scored a goal in the first UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup All-Star Match between Europe and Africa. Africa won the game 2-1.
Football Ambassador and Club Owner
In 2001, he was considered for the chairman position of the Ghana Football Association. He decided to step aside for someone with more experience.
Today, he owns a football club called Nania. He hopes to help young talented players grow through his club. He also does a lot of charity work across Africa.
Playing Style
Abedi Pele was known for his amazing speed and how well he controlled the ball. He was great at dribbling past opponents. He was also known for his excellent passing and ability to score goals. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or a forward. People often called him the "Maestro" or "The African Maradona" because of his skill.
Family Life
Abedi Pele is married to Maha. He has several children, including his sons André, Jordan, and Rahim. His sons Ibrahim, André, and Jordan have also played for the Ghana national team. André and Rahim played for Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Jordan and André also represented Ghana in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Honours and Awards
Abedi Pele won many awards and titles during his career.
Player Honours
Marseille
- French Division 1: 1990–91, 1991–92
- UEFA Champions League: 1992–93; runner-up: 1990–91
Al Ain
- Pro-League: 1999–2000
- UAE President's Cup: 1999
Ghana
- African Cup of Nations: 1982; runners-up: 1992
- West African Nations Cup: 1982, 1983, 1984
Individual Awards
- BBC African Footballer of the Year: 1991
- African Footballer of the Year: 1991, 1992, 1993
- Africa Cup of Nations Golden Ball (Best Player): 1992
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 1992, 1994, 1996
- Ghana Footballer of the Year: 1993
- MasterCard African Team of the 20th Century: 1998
- IFFHS African Player of the Century (1901–2000): 3rd Best
- IFFHS All-time Africa Men's Dream Team: 2021
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 9th in 1992, nominated in 1991
- FIFA 100 (list of the greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé)
- Golden Foot Legends Award: 2011
- Ghana Football Awards Living Legend Award: 2022
- Ghana SWAG Best Colts (Young) Player: 1978
Orders
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Order of the Volta (Civil Division): 1996
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Manager Honours
Nania
- Ghanaian FA Cup: 2011
- Ghana Super Cup: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Abédi Pelé para niños
