Abedi psyches Stars up

FORMER Black Stars skipper, Abedi Pele Ayew, has called on the team to put behind them the narrow 2-1 defeat they suffered from DR Congo in the African Cup of Nations qualifier in Kinshasa and concentrate more on the subsequent match against the Lone Stars of Liberia on January 28.

He said “let bygones be bygones” and face Liberia with all might and determination to beat them hands down to brighten our chances of going to the World Cup for the first time in our history.

The soccer maestro said this in a sports interview on TV3 network last Monday.

He said the Lone Stars command a formidable team that revolves around veteran skipper in the person of George Weah who doubles as coach of the team.

Abedi said the fact that Liberia trounced Congo Brazzaville 5-1 and beat Nigeria also 2-1 attests to their top form in contemporary soccer in Africa.

He said though the Stars played without some key players like Samuel Osei Kuffour, skipper Charles Akonnor and wizard dribbler Emmanuel Duah, there is the need for the team to at least die a little for the country in such crucial matches.

Abedi Pele, arguably the greatest Ghanaian player, advised the players, especially the up-and-coming ones, to focus their attention on the game and eschew tendencies that could likely jeopardise their chosen career.

He called on the players and Ghanaians to rally behind Cecil Jones Attuquayefio for him to deliver the goods since he has shown his capability to take the Stars through after leading Hearts of Oak to conquer Africa.

He said judging from the way Hearts were playing coupled with their tactical discipline, he was totally convinced that they would lift the cup and they did.

The soccer virtuoso urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to involve all the old players in the country in all their endeavours as far as football is concerned since they occupy a good position to impart their wealth of experience in reviving the shrinking image of the country’s soccer.

He said old players like the Mohammed Choos, Ollabodes, Essiens and Opoku Afriyies must be trusted with the position to help unearth talents from the grass root level to feed the country’s various national teams.

The former captain used the occasion to debunk the notion that there was friction between him and the prolific goal-getter, Tony Yeboah.

“Tony even called me on phone before coming to the country for holidays and besides that his wife and mine are very close friends and they visit each other at their leisure hours,” Pele stated.