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Guinea-Bissau Renames Stadium In Honour Of Pele

The decision was made at a cabinet meeting.


In this file photo taken on February 08, 2012 former player Brazil’s Pele acknowledges the crowd before the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2012) semi-final football match Mali vs Ivory Coast at the Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville. Brazilian football icon Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and a three-time World Cup winner who masterminded the ‘beautiful game’, died on December 29, 2022 at the age of 82, after battling kidney problems and colon cancer. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP) / NO USE AFTER JANUARY 2, 2023 14:32:33 GMT

 

Guinea-Bissau has renamed a sports stadium in its second city Bafata “Pele Stadium” in honour of the late Brazilian football legend, the government announced on Friday.

The decision was made at a cabinet meeting after observing a minute’s silence in memory of Pele, who died on December 29 at age 82, the government of the West African nation said in a statement.

The regional stadium has a capacity of about 15,000 seats.

Bafata is located about 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of the capital Bissau.

On Wednesday, Cape Verde’s prime minister announced that the stadium in its capital city, Praia, would also be renamed the “Pele Stadium”.

 

In this file photo taken on June 13, 1961 Brazilian striker Pelé, wearing his Santos jersey, smiles before playing a friendly soccer match with his club against the French club of “Racing”, in Colombes, in the suburbs of Paris. (Photo by AFP)

 

In this file photo taken on February 08, 2012 former player Brazil’s Pele acknowledges the crowd before the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2012) semi-final football match Mali vs Ivory Coast at the Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville. . (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP

 

The two African countries made the name changes in response to a call by FIFA president Gianni Infantino for each member country of the world football association to name one of its stadiums after the star player.

Following Pele’s death, thousands of fans and football dignitaries gathered at the stadium of the Brazilian club Santos, where he had played from 1956 to 1974, to pay their respects.

Pele’s final resting place was a 200-square-metre (2,150-square-feet) mausoleum in Santos’ vertical cemetery, where a huge crowd of fans paid tribute to him.