Orkula Shaagee
8 July 2009
Abuja — Brazilian soccer legend Edson Arantes Do Nascimentao, widely known as Pele, yesterday predicted that an African country could reach the final of the 2010 World Cup holding in South Africa.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja, after presenting one of the bid documents for the Rio De Janeiro bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games before the Congress of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Pele noted that with the rising profile of African teams in world football he was sure Africa would do well at the 2010 World Cup.
He added that the excellent outing of South Africa and the USA at the just concluded Confederation Cup in South Africa has further demonstrated that there is no minor country in football again.
"If you remember, ten years ago I started mentioning about how football in Africa will grow and get better and better. Africa gets a lot of players in Europe and they have a lot of experience, and with adequate preparation it will not be a surprise to see Africa in the finals or the quarter-final at the World Cup.
"You can see that at the Confederation Cup, South Africa for the first time was at the semi-final and United States was at the final. So there are no big teams in football now, all countries are equal. Now, we have to respect the developing countries", Pele stated.
On the huge wages being paid players by club as salaries and sign-on fees, Pele said there is need for players to be committed more to their teams than allowing the love for money to dictate their movement, adding that FIFA is also looking at ways of addressing that.
"I agree with you, in my time we needed to play for ten years to get the kind of money being paid to young players in one year today, but it is a different life at the moment. During my time we did not have big companies investing in football.
"What we discussed in the committee of FIFA was that players should be more honest to themselves and the clubs because players at the moment are in the habit of changing clubs every year, they play in Europe. This year they are in Madrid and next they go to Italy or England, and the following year they change the club again, it means they don't have the love for the team but the love for money.
"So, that is what the new generation of players will have to pay attention to because there's no loyalty, they are just looking for money, and that is the big problem we have to face in future", he concluded.
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pele must have drank too much palm wine.africa does not have what it takes to get to the final.here is what you need that no african country has.one,organization,two organization and three organization.yes african countries have the talent and the personnel to win the world cup but talent alone does not win competition and that much pele should know.the united states is in a much better position to win the world cup before any african country and soccer is not even a major sport here.what is interesting people coming from all over the world to tell us all these great thing about our selfs but not willing to invest in teaching us how to get things done