Red Oak Heroes Series: Abedi Ayew Pele

From playing football barefooted in his neighbourhood as a young boy, Abedi Ayew is now rated among the top footballers around the world. He started playing for the Ghana senior national team when he was only seventeen years old. His passion for the game did not die when two arch-rival clubs in Ghana, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, refused to sign him on. He went ahead to sign a contract with AS Dragon FC of Benin and subsequently moved to European and United Arab Emirates clubs where he influenced their style of play. As an attacking midfielder, his spectacular goals were what pushed his teams to win trophies at major tournaments. Abedi’s contribution to football at both club and national levels is what earned him nicknames like ‘Pele’ and African Maradona.