Football legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, that was popularly known by his mononym, Pele passed on yesterday at the age of 82.
Footballers, clubs, nations and world leaders rained down tributes on the man who went down in history as the only Football player to ever win three World Cups.
But did Pele have any ties with his African roots?
Pele and his club, Santos played a game against Nigeria’s Green Eagles in Lagos and Midwest XI in Benin City during the Nigerian Civil War in 1969. The Lagos game ended 2-2.
There is a popular unconfirmed story that the war was stopped for 48 hours because of the game.
Pele also played for Fluminense against Nigerian club, Racca Rovers in Kaduna State, Nigeria in 1978. They won 2-1.
But it was not just Nigeria that he visited or played in. Here are other African nations that he also visited.
Pelé in Africa during the 20th and 21st Century.
- 1960 in Egypt 🇪🇬
- 1965 in Algeria 🇩🇿
- 1967 in DR Congo 🇨🇩,Congo 🇨🇬, Senegal 🇸🇳, Gabon 🇬🇦, Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮
- 1969 in Nigeria 🇳🇬
- 1971 in Ghana 🇬🇭
- 1973 in Sudan 🇸🇩
- 1976 in Morocco 🇲🇦
- 1995, 2007 and 2010 in South Africa 🇿🇦
[wpvideo t9oDeR47]
