Ghana’s 1978 AFCON squad inspired me a lot- Abedi Pele

Ghanaian football legend Abedi "Pele" Ayew has said the Black Stars’ AFCON winning squad of 1978 inspired him a lot, growing up as a young footballer.

Pele narrates he had an eye-opening experience watching the 1978 team back then as a teenager and that spurred him on to push for greater heights as a footballer.

The Black Stars squad in 1978 boasted several quality players and has been tagged as one of the best the country has ever produced. Their all-rounded nature and deep squad meant they swept aside every opponent that came their way.

Abedi Pele was only a teenager by then and says he idolised most of the players growing.

The Olympique Marseille legend narrated this account during an interview with GTV Sports Plus on a program dubbed Time with the Captains.

“That (The 1978 squad) was a team that inspired me so much” Abedi said.

“During the Africa Cup, all the countries were using these STC new buses…And you see the placards in front…Uganda, Tunisia”

“You see the players coming in their beautiful track-suits and everything was on top.

And I will be standing and watching. And I see Abdul Razak with his colour with Ghana wearing white track-suit with Ghana colours…and I said to myself, I will get there and it wouldn’t take me a long time to get there”.

“That when I saw PSK Paha, Kuuku Dadzie, these were players that those days had the brains and quality. And what they were doing those days, players are doing it today. Great players”

“These are the players who I watched and was really inspired. You will want to break the door to get through”.

“These are the guys who really inspired me and I’m grateful, he concluded”.