Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony says football can benefit immensely from a bilateral sport agreement between Guyana and Brazil.

Already there is a draft accord and the two countries will be working towards the manifestation of what they deem important for the game and its development in South America.

According to Dr. Anthony, legendary football player Edson Arantes Do Nascimento who visited Guyana late last year as a guest of honour of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation has promised to assist.

“We have had some discussions with Pele and he has said to us that Guyana now has him as a friend and anything that we want to pursue in football if it’s Brazil directly or the clubs in Brazil, that he is willing to work with us to strengthen that relationship and I think that is a big plus,” Dr. Anthony told Stabroek Sport recently.

Pele is the game’s most celebrated footballer following his career from 1956-1978.

He was declared Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee while Time Magazine voted him one of the 100th Most Important People of the 20th century.

He is now one of FIFA’s global ambassadors of the game.

“He has given us all his contacts, his management has given us all assurances and certainly we’ll see how we can help the game. Added to that you know his is a very powerful voice where football is concerned and he said he is going to use his office at FIFA to aid in the growth and future of the game in Guyana,” Dr. Anthony said.

“I think if we get more coaches coming into Guyana to work with teams here, I think that would be a good starting point. One of the things he has suggested is to try and create more exposure for players which mean that we should have some clubs coming into Guyana to play or our clubs going out to play. That, he said, was very important if we want to develop the level of the game,” Dr. Anthony said.