Prime News Ghana

Ghana willing to rename Stadium after Pele - NSA boss

By Vincent Ashitey
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The National Sports Authority Director-General  Professor Twumasi says Ghana is willing to rename one of its Stadia to honour the late Brazilian football legend Pele.

The news comes after FIFA’s president Gianna Infantino proposed – while speaking at Pele’s memorial service in Brazil – that every country should name a stadium after the footballing legend who died on 29 December, aged 82.

“For everyone who loves the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lost Pele,” Infantino said.

“We’re going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele.”

READ ALSO: Pele's funeral: Thousands line streets of Santos as Brazil football legend is laid to rest

Cape Verde’s is set to become the first nation to rename its national stadium after Pele, the country’s prime minister has confirmed..

The 15,000-seater Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde, located just outside the capital Praia, will become the Pele Stadium.

Over here in Ghana, the NSA has opened its doors to renaming a stadium in Ghana after Pele.

“The call by Infantino for nations to name a stadium in recognition of the football king, Pelé, is something many nations always do to honour their hero,” Prof. Twumasi told the GNA.

“For me, it is a good motivation for young players who aspire to reach the pinnacle of football and also serves as a magnet to unite people around the world.

“There are procedures to be followed in the renaming of the stadium and as we did with the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, and we are willing to engage appropriate stakeholders to make this happen, especially given the vast number of unnamed new sporting facilities in the country.”

Pele - a three-time World Cup winner - died at the age of 82 on December 29.

Arguably the world's greatest ever footballer, he had been receiving treatment for colon cancer since 2021.