Facts and Figures: Abedi Pele was never Ghana's all time scorer- Freeman

Thomas Freeman N. Yeboah

A researcher and a member of the GFA Research and Information Management Committee has stated categorically that the Maestro Abedi Ayew Pele was never Ghana's all time scorer.

Thomas Freeman N. Yeboah said on Kumasi based Metro FM that the 33 international career goals attributed to Abedi Pele was an aberration.

By implication therefore, Yeboah insists Asamoah Gyan cannot also be crowned all time scorer of the Black Stars despite taking his goal tally to 34.

Thomas Freeman Yeboah is acclaimed to have set the records straight on who scored Ghana's 100th Nations Cup goal after Agyemang Badu was erroneously credited with that feat. He stated unequivocally that John Mensah scored the 100th Nations Cup goal.

He also revealed that Kotoko's triumph in the 2011-12 Glo premier league was their 21st and not the 22nd as widely reported.

On Monday's edition of the 'Academic and Matured Sports', on Metro FM, Freeman again put the searchlight on the mystery behind who is actually Ghana's all time scorer.

He said the myth about Abedi Pele being the all-time top scorer of the Black Stars is erroneous, adding Abedi Pele is known officially to have scored 19 goals and not 33 as widely reported.

Whilst taking listeners and readers through the processes he went through in his research to unravel the mystery behind Abedi Pele's international goals, Freeman insisted Asamoah Gyan is not Ghana's all time scorer.

He has promised to name the player with the all-time best goal scoring record for Ghana in subsequent editions.

Unraveling Abedi Pele's myth
According to Freeman, he took the following steps to establish his fact on Abedi Pele's international goals for Ghana.

(1) The results on Ghana's international matches were produced by 'RSSSF', a FIFA accredited statistical body, but no scorers are attached to them, so “I had to go through every archival material to get the scorers of international matches played by Ghana since 1950 and establish the truth of the nature of the matches”.

(2) I looked at the period between 1981 and 1998, with about 202 international matches, during this period Abedi Pele played for Ghana.

(3) Total international goals scored by Abedi Pele are nineteen (19) as recorded in the archives.

(4) There are seven (7) games which have the matches recorded in the archives but no scorers are available and at the same time some have no evidence of Pele playing.

(5) The 7 matches in question have a total of 11 goals, but after talking to some of the players who played in some of these matches, they have justified that Abedi Pele, didn't play in three of such matches with a total of six (6) goals involved. For instance Opoku Nti who captained Ghana in both 1983 and 1987 during the said matches has revealed that Abedi didn't play for Ghana in 1983 and 1987 during the CSSA tournament in both Ivory Coast and Liberia respectively. Ernest Appau and Sarfo Gyamfi who also played in the 1983 and 1987 respectively in the CSSA tournament have confirmed that Abedi Pele never played in these tournaments.

(6) The rest of the four matches which some have records of Abedi Pele playing but no records kept in the archives on the goal scorers have a total of 7 goals and even if all the scorers are added to Abedi Pele, his total tally will be twenty six (26), and not the thirty three (33) international goals he is being credited.

(7) There are twelve (12) matches although the scorers are not available; there is evidence that Abedi wasn't part of the team.

(8) Ghana was represented in eighteen (18) matches by our junior teams, representative sides and clubs from 1981 to 1998

(9) Nine (9) matches are not in the archives within the period under review but 'RSSSF' captured them. Such matches could be clubs who played in Africa on Ghana's tickets.

Below is the list of matches Abedi played and scored for Ghana as gathered from the archives

TOTAL INTERNATIONAL GOALS BY ABEDI PELE: 19

16/08/1982 South Korea Malaysia 1-0 Merdeka Rd 2
Abedi pele
14/04/1985 Guinea Guinea 4-1 Ancq
Facinet Camara (2-1);George Alhassan, Ofei Ansah, Mohammed Polo, Abedi Pele

26/02/1986 Liberia Ghana 3-0 Cssa Rd 1
Skipper: Abedi Pele
Scorers: Anthony Yeboah,Yeboah, Abedi
02/03/1986 Togo Ghana 1-0 Cssa Final
Scorer: Abedi Pele 40
Skipper: Joe Odoi
10/10/1990 Burkina Faso Ghana 2-0 Ancq
Played in Kumasi
Scorers: Abedi Pele bicyle kick 59, Prince Opoku 83

Emmanuel Armah, stars penalty expert shot a pen kick wide.

Coach : Burkhard Ziese
Sam Johnson came on for Kwasi Appiah.
15/01/1992 Zambia Senegal 1-0 AFRICA Rd 1
Abedi Pele 64'
23/01/1992 Nigeria Senegal 2-1 AFRICA Sf
Abedi Pele 43', Prince Polley 54'; Adepoju 11'
20/01/1992 Congo Senegal 2-1 AFRICA Qf
Abedi Pele 57'
31/01/1993 Burundi Ghana 1-0 Wcq
Skipper Abedi Pele scored in the 18th minute.
25/07/1993 Liberia Liberia 2-0 Ancq
Tony Yeboah, Abedi Pele
25/05/1995 Norway Norway 2-3 Fr
Oslo Norway
Jan Age Fjortoft,Kjetil Rekdal 50, Lars Bohinene(3-1) Abedi Pele eq, Abedi (3-1)

Abedi scored two goals.
12/11/1995 Sierra Leone Ghana 2-0 Fr
Tony Yeboah, Abedi. Stephen Appiah played.
05/01/1996 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 1-1 Fr
Abedi Pele,
25/01/1996 Mozambique South Africa 2-0 AFRICA Rd 1
Pele 42', Aboagye 68'
19/01/1996 Tunisia South Africa 2-1 AFRICA Rd 1
Pelé 50', Akonnor 77'; Ben Younes 72'
14/01/1996 Ivory Coast South Africa 2-0 AFRICA Rd 1

Yeboah 20', Pelé 70'
10/11/1996 Gabon Gabon 1-1 s Wcq
Gabon scored first, but Abedi Pele equalized
13/07/1997 Zimbabwe Ghana 2-1 Ancq
Pele, Samuel Osei Kuffour, header; Muradzikwa
Emmanuel Osei Kuffour and Maxwell Konadu played
BELOW IS THE LIST OF 7 MATCHES WITH NO RECORDS OF SCORERS OF THE GAMES FROM THE ARCHIVES

***17/02/1982 Niger Benin 2-2 Cssa Rd 1
***07/08/1982 Singapore Malaysia 3-0 Merdeka Rd 1
***28/04/1983 Libya Ethiopia 1-0 Addis Ababa Sf
***27/09/1983 Togo Ivory Coast 1-1 Cssa Rd 1
Adedi Pele was not in the team as confirmed by Opoku Nti and Ernest Appau

****30/09/1983 Ivory Coast Ivory Coast 2-0 Cssa Rd 1

Adedi Pele was not in the team as confirmed by Opoku Nti and Ernest Appau

***31/01/1987 Ivory Coast Liberia 2-0 Cssa Rd 1
Opoku Nti scored a goal,but the other scorer not known.

Adedi Pele was not in the team as confirmed by Opoku Nti and Ernest Appau

***04/12/1994 Ivory Coast South Africa 1-1 Simba Cup

Thomas Freeman has invited public opinion on the matter, so that whoever has any match which Abedi Pele played but not recorded is not recorded here; or goals which Abedi Pele scored but was not recorded here can bring such information. Abedi Pele himself can bring out matches he played but not recorded in this analysis.