Brazilian legend Pele passed away on December 29, after battling colon cancer following surgery to remove a tumour in September 2021.
He is widely regarded as the greatest to ever play the game of football, as he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection before subsequently being moved to palliative care when his body became unresponsive to chemotherapy.
Even after his demise, his legendary status remains and his life and times remain in the record books.
The legend once visited Nigeria in 1969 during the country’s civil war, and reports have it that there was a cease-fire for 48 hours to allow the then Green Eagles (now Super Eagles) take on Santos.
Having pulled out of the Copa Libertadores, Santos embarked on a world tour and visited some African countries, but the team arrived in Nigeria right in the middle of the war.
Both teams were billed to face off in two separate matches, with the first ending 2-2, and of course, Pele scored both goals for the Brazilian outfit.
Santos then travelled to Benin where they played another exhibition match against the Eagles, and the greatness of the fixture was so huge that the then state Military Governor Samuel Ogbemudia declared a public holiday.
He ordered the opening of the bridge that connected Benin with Biafra and more than 25000 fans stormed the stadium to see how Pele guided the visitors to a 2-1 win. In 2020, Pele Tweeted: “”I always tried to send this message, as football player and as a man. One of my greatest pride was to have stopped a war in Nigeria, in 1969, in one the many football tours that Santos made around the world.”
I always tried to send this message, as football player and as a man. One of my greatest pride was to have stopped a war in Nigeria, in 1969, in one the many football tours that Santos made around the world 🇳🇬 ☮️ pic.twitter.com/TP3cjohXjW
— Pelé (@Pele) October 19, 2020
