Ghana's celebrated soccer star, Abedi Ayew Pele has been selected as the Guest Speaker of the maiden CAF Africa Football Awards slated for Johannesburg, South Africa on May 22.

Abedi's selection comes as no surprise and in fact adds to the growing international recognition of the former Ghanaian midfielder, who won the African best player for three consecutive times.

Abedi's brilliant exploits on the field took him to France, Italy, Germany and the Middle East, where he attracted thousands of fans. He was very instrumental in Olympic Marseilles winning the European Club Champions trophy in 1993, the first time a French team won it.

Pele has the singular honour of participating in more FIFA organised charity matches than any African player. He is currently on the player status committees of both FIFA and CAF.

Pele is adored in many African countries, especially the Francophone countries because of his exploits in France. Nonetheless, in countries like Nigeria and South Africa, football fans still swear by his name. In fact Abedi has the goodwill all over the world. That explains why the South African FA made him a member of their 2006 world cup bidding team.But, back in Ghana, his critics do not want to see him anywhere near the corridors of soccer administration. They say he is inexperienced and cannot handle sports. Sadly, the person Ghanaians have labeled inexperienced is the same person other countries have regard for. Abedi's plight is that of 'no prophet being wanted in his own country'.