Abedi Pele Eyes World Cup Triumph

By ROBERT MILLWARD, AP Sports Writer

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) - Unlike his famous namesake, Abedi Pele never played in a World Cup. Now, retired Ghanaian soccer star hopes to play a role in a historic one.

One of Africa's best known players, Pele is on the team bidding to bring the 2006 World Cup to South Africa when the FIFA executive committee votes on the venue Thursday.

South Africa is up against two European powerhouses, Germany and England, and another African candidate, Morocco.

Pele, who played for several years in Europe for Olympique Marseille, Torino and 1860 Munich, dreams of seeing the stars of the world playing a World Cup in Africa for the first time. That's why he and Cameroon soccer great Roger Milla have joined the South African bidding team.

``It's not just an emotional or sentimental thing to have the World Cup in Africa. It's right in practical terms too,'' said the Ghanaian, who was renamed Pele after the famous Brazilian star because he was so talented as a child.

``I have nothing against Morocco or the Moroccan bid, but the facilities in South Africa are wonderful. You only have to look at the FIFA inspection committee's report to get confirmation of that.

``But look at what it means to Africa to have the big European stars playing on African soil. For me, as an African, it would be a dream come true,'' Pele said.

``And there's no reason why an African team wouldn't win the 2006 World Cup in Africa. Cameroon got to the quarterfinal and lost narrowly to England. Nigeria got to the same stage in 1994 and was unlucky to lose to Italy, and it also won the Olympic title in 1996.

``African soccer is getting stronger all the time.''

The four bids were being presented to the 24 FIFA executive members on Wednesday, and South Africa looked a strong favorite.

As well as impressing a FIFA inspection team with its facilities, including nine stadiums already built, the South Africans have attracted support because none of the 16 previous World Cups have been in Africa.

The next one, being co-hosted by South Korea and Japan in 2002, is in Asia for the first time. FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who is campaigning for a rotation of the confederations, also is backing an African World Cup in 2006.

Europe has played host to nine World Cups, and that doesn't help the bids of England and Germany.

Brazil was going to be in the vote, too, but pulled out on Monday, promising to pass on its vote to South Africa in return for African votes for its proposed bid in 2010.

Franz Beckenbauer, head of the German bid, described the deal as ``horse-trading'' and said the Germans considered pulling out as a result.

``The tradeoff is so obvious that it begins to smell,'' the former World Cup star said. ``When we heard that the decision had apparently been made, we wondered whether we should come here at all.''

Beckenbauer's mood was in contrast to that of Danny Jordaan, the man leading the South African bid.

``We are very pleased and encouraged by Brazil's decision,'' Jordaan said. ``It's the result of many months and years of discussions, but we are even at this stage working very hard right up the last minute, taking absolutely nothing for granted.

``The FIFA technical report stated that our bid is extremely well qualified and the contest boils down to a decision between giving Europe a 10th World Cup or to awarding Africa a first World Cup.''