Abedi Pele signing an autograph
Ghana football legend, Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’, has emphasised the importance of financial education in football, citing his own experiences as a player and investor in the sport.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the three-day FIFA Financial Governance Workshop at the Marriot Hotel in Accra on Friday, January 31, 2025, Pele encouraged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to share the lessons learned from the workshop with local clubs.
The three-time African Footballer of the Year joined representatives from 10 African countries to close the workshop.
“I am an investor in the game and that singular decision to invest in football was purely based on the fact that I wanted to give back to society after my success on the pitch,” he said.
“I played football to the highest level; met a lot of people who helped my cause and spent money on my career so having an education on finance is very important.”
“As Football Associations and Federations, we owe it a duty to educate our clubs on best financial practices. Let’s spread the word, and make good use of the lessons from this workshop to promote, develop and enhance the game’’ the former Olympique Marseille player added.
The FIFA Financial Governance Workshop took off on Wednesday, attracting participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Kenya.
The workshop covered key topics such as financial management, accountability, transparency, and efficient resource use within football organizations.
The training also provided participants with valuable insights and tools to fortify their organisations’ financial foundations, ensuring long-term sustainability, accountability, and effective resource management in football.
The Head of FIFA Financial Governance, Christopher Suppiger, led the facilitators for the three-day programme.
Others included Lucca Piazza, Director, Reforms Implementation; Meryem Atouk, FIFA’s Finance Services Manager; Andrea Portabella, Senior Capacity Development and Education Manager; Silmara Sousa, FIFA Regional Coordinator for Africa; and Raissa Toure, FIFA Division Office Coordinator.
Maxwell Caesar Kemeh, an experienced administrator at the Competitions Department, served as the Local Liaison Officer for the workshop.
Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ is a former Ghana black star captain who played for Lyon, Al Ain, 1860 Munich, Al Sadd, FC Zurich, Torino and Olympique Marseille where he won the UEFA Champions League in 1993.
The former Real Tamale United player won 73 caps and scored 19 goals for Ghana during an international career that spanned 16-years.
