Durban - The South African football fraternity has offered a mixed reaction after FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed that every country in the world name a stadium after late Brazilian legend Pele.
Pelé, who won the World Cup three times and scored more than 1,000 career goals, died after a long battle with colon cancer last Thursday, aged 82.
As the biggest football figures continue to express their sadness at the death of the 'King of Football' some, including Infantino, have begun trekking to Brazil.
Speaking to reporters in that country, Infantino said FIFA was going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums after Pelé, a request that has evoked various contradictory conversations amongst local football fans.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is in Brazil for Pele's funeral, told reporters: "We're going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele."
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 2, 2023
Read more: https://t.co/H1t7uVILgZ
📺Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/LQA4igLxuT
While some have already started picking which stadiums could potentially fulfil the request, others have rejected the request, suggesting instead that an appreciation of South Africa’s own football legends is warranted.
"I don't support the idea, to be honest. We have our footballing heroes who should be honoured with that privilege. Especially the class of 96. Or rather than having a stadium named after him, they can build football development centres dedicated to him all over the country," wrote Lipho Mpama on social media
"There’s a stadium named Van Riebeeck/Puma stadium in Witbank. We will gladly name it after him and hopefully, FIFA will expand it," wrote another social media user.
@SmisoScribe