Ghana: Africa Not On Nania’s Mind -Abedi

David Tagoe

14 June 2011

Nania F/C may have beaten league champions Berekum Chelsea to qualify to play in the final of this year’s MTN FA Cup, and with that qualification, playing in next year’s CAF Confederation Cup should be featuring in the minds of officials and players of the club, as it would afford the players the opportunity to display their scintillating brand of football, if the team eventually wins the MTN Knockout tournament.

In what may appear a rather strange, but to a large extent understandable move considering the colossal financial burden that playing in Africa places on clubs, three times African Footballer of the Year and owner of Nania F/C, Abedi Pele Ayew says playing at the continental level is not uppermost on their minds, even if they win the cup.

Many people may think Abedi Pele may cite the financial demands playing in Africa comes with, but the football legend remained reticent on that aspect of playing in Africa, as in his opinion, players of Nania F/C do not have the needed exposure to participate at that level and to make an impact, and not necessarily to participate and bear a tag of ‘also runs’.

Nania F/ C on Sunday showed real character when they came back twice from the ‘dead’ to ditch uncrowned league champions Berekum Chelsea 7-5 on penalty shootout, after 120 minutes of a thrilling and brilliant soccer that produced two goals apiece.

In his assessment of the match, Abedi Pele described the uncrowned league champions as a strong side. He was happy the strategies they adopted for the match paid off.

“We knew we were going to play a very tough and physically strong side so we needed to prepare extra for them.

“We knew we had to be on top of our game, and that was what we did by playing an all attacking, all defending game, which gave us the desired results.

“We possessed the ball, leaving the Chelsea players to do the running that made them have cramps and falling down in the process”.

Though enthused about his players’ achievement, Abedi Pele could not help pouring adulations on the Chelsea team. “I was impressed with their performance, but it was just that we came in with a strategy that they fell casualty to”.

On the day, the whole Ayew family (Dede, Jordan and Rahim) were present at the stadium to watch the game, and to provide the needed elixir and support to catapult the team to glorious heights, but humbled by the achievement of the team, and desirous of giving credit where it is due, Abedi Pele says his presence as well as that of his family did not add any extraordinary thing to the achievement. “The players did the job well and won on the day”, he remarked.

AllAfrica – All the Time