Here’s why Abedi Pele was named after Pele

Abedi Ayew was born in Kibi and grew up in the town of Dome on the northern outskirts of Accra. He grew up with 18 siblings and all he ever wanted to do was just play football. He had absolutely no idea who Pelé was because he never had access to electricity and televisions.

But even at a young age, whenever Abedi is playing football in any small corner he finds himself, he realized people older than him kept shouting ‘oh Pele, he plays like Pele.’

The nickname got more popular when he attended Ghana Senior High School in Tamale and at a point, no one referred to him as Abedi Ayew. Everyone including his teachers, friends, and family started to call him ‘Abedi Pelé’.

The nickname Pelé followed the attacking midfielder all the way from Ghana to some of the world’s biggest football stages, including the 1993 Champions League final where he helped lead the French club Olympique Marseille to its first-ever European championship.

Pelé’s legacy transcends Brazil and South America and gave Ghana and Africa a football icon. Thanks, Pelé for inspiring another version of yourself in Abedi Pelé. The world will always remember you