Qatari football journalist Ahmed Hashim says Ghana legend Abedi Pele was hesitant in signing for Al Sadd 39 years ago.
Hashim recounted that Abedi did not want to move to Al Sadd as he thought he would be lonely because of his skin complexion.
“When Abedi Pele joined Al Sadd in 1982, it was counted as a random move,” Ahmed Hashim, the co-founder of Qatar Football Live and an avid Al Sadd fan told New Frame
“He was 18 and an Al Sadd official traveled to Ghana to get him to sign.”
“Abedi was initially hesitant … concerned that he’d feel alone and scared there without anyone who had the same skin color as his.”
“Pele didn’t know there were people of all colors in Qatar. But at his first training session, he met Mubarak Ghanim who helped to relieve his concerns”. He added.
The former Ghana skipper spent just a season at Al Sadd before moving to FC Zurich in 1984
