A former RTU player who once played for the Black Stars, Ahmed Dauda has shared a story of how Abedi Ayew 'Pele' impressed coaches of Tamale Republicans with his talent in his early days at the club.
Before Abedi Pele would go on to conquer Africa and the world, the three-time African player of the Year became the of the superstars in the local league for his side, Real Tamale United.
Abedi Pele who started playing on the dusty pitches of Alajo, Accra was discovered and sent to the northern part of Ghana where he joined Real Tamale United.
When young Abedi Pele arrived at RTU, he was considered a youngster who was not ripped to play at the top level hence, he was sent on loan to Tamale Republicans.
“Abedi when he first came, our big men realized that he was small so they took him to Tamale Republicans to pick up from there,” Ahmed Dauda who witnessed the making of the Ghanaian football maestro said in an interview monitored by GhanaWeb Sports.
The young boy who was considered too young for a senior club like RTU dominated the scenes at Tamale Republicans which compelled the coaches of RTU to make a U-turn.
“We realized we can’t put him there so we brought him back to manage with what we have, so he can grow with it,” he said.
According to Ahmed Dauda, Abedi Pele soon became a player for the senior team and was introduced often in the final minutes of matches till he finally adapted.
He added that due to the rigorous nature of football in Ghana, Abedi Pele developed a strong shield to avoid being bullied due to his diminutive nature.
“We started with him and we were hitting him to get used to the knocks. He also learnt how to peg which made him develop how to block. You will see him as a small boy but when you come he will use the left to block and when you kick him, you can get injured,” Ahmed Dauda told Dan Kwaku Yeboah.
“The team started using him 15 and 20 mins to establish himself,” the former Black Stars player said.
Abedi Pele travelled abroad where he won the UEFA Champions League with Marseille.
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