Accra, Ghana | Xinhua | Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo eulogized late Brazilian football legend Pele on Friday for his contribution to the sport.
In a tweet on his official account, Nana Akufo-Addo described the late Brazilian footballer as an inspiration to generations of footballers.
“The whole world of sports is poorer today for the loss of one of its greatest figures, certainly its greatest soccer player, with the departure to heaven of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the iconic legendary Pele,” he said.
“He used his towering status to be an advocate for the poor, for children, for young people, for black people, and to be an inspiration to several generations of footballers,” the Ghanaian leader added.
“The Ghanaian people, who admired him deeply, join me in expressing our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to his family, the Brazilian people, the Brazilian government, and football and sports lovers the world over. There will never be another like him,” he said.
Ghanaian football legend Abedi Ayew Pele, who took the name “Pele” from the late football icon, said on Twitter that the Brazilian was an inspiration to him.
He said, “It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of my friend and mentor, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the greatest footballer to ever play the game. Personally, I was immensely inspired by his greatness, and to be likened to him and bear his iconic name throughout my playing time and beyond is an absolute privilege and a priceless honor.”
The Brazilian football legend Pele, one of the greatest players of all time, died on Thursday at the age of 82.
