The death of Brazilian football legend and global superstar, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pele, was announced on Thursday, December 29, 2022, following a prolonged battle with colon cancer.
Pele was 82 when he died.
As the world mourns the passing of arguably the Greatest footballer Of All Time (GOAT), the stories surrounding Pele’s visit to Nigeria twice–in the middle of a war and on the eve of a coup–are worth retelling.
Biafra war sprinkled with football
In January 1969, during the Biafra war which raged from 1967 to 1970, Pele visited Nigeria alongside other members of his Brazilian club Santos, to play friendlies with the Green Eagles (as Nigeria’s national football team was known).
The prodigiously gifted Pele with the happy feet and Samba dance oozing through every pore of his being, had burst onto the world stage as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup. He bagged a hat-trick in the semi final against Sweden, as Brazil eventually won the tournament, signalling Pele’s rise to global stardom and worldwide name recognition.
Pele and Santos embarked on an African tour in 1969, with matches scheduled in Nigeria, The Congo, Algeria, Mozambique and Ghana.
The Lagos match was staged at the behest of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) who paid Santos £11,000 for the exhibition fixture against the Green Eagles. The game ended 2-2 with Pele grabbing a brace and Muyiwa Oshode and Baba Alli scoring for Nigeria.
Pele also played an exhibition game against an All Star side at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, with then military Governor of the Midwest region, Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Ogbemudia, a fan and a crazy lover of sports.
All of this occurred in the middle of the secession battle between Biafra soldiers led by Odumegwu Ojukwu and the Nigerian side led by Yakubu Gowon.
However, for the period Pele was in Nigeria, hostilities had to be suspended as fans trooped to stadiums in Lagos and Benin to watch him dazzle crowds with his feet and goalscoring prowess.
After Pele and his team left Nigeria, the war resumed until it was declared a “no victor, no vanquished” affair in 1970.
Pele dressed as Pilot to escape Nigeria
Pele returned to Nigeria in February 1976 and this time, he was almost assassinated.
Pele found himself trapped in a Lagos hotel (The Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island) alongside tennis legend and reigning Wimbledon Champion Arthur Ashe, as they plotted an escape from a volatile situation and a tension-soaked nation.
Pele’s Pepsi-sponsored tour coincided with the first professional Tennis tournament to be held in Nigeria.
There was a large American contingent in Nigeria for the Tennis event, and at the time, Nigeria and the U.S engaged in a diplomatic row over a rebel group in Angola that enjoyed the backing of Russia.
On February 13, the fourth day of the Tennis tournament and another day of Pele’s promotional work, Nigerian Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed, was gunned down in his car in Lagos by a group of rebel soldiers while on his way to the army headquarters.
As it turned out, the coup mastermind was the Head of the Nigerian Army Physical Training Corps, Lt. Colonel Bukar Dimka.
News Point Nigeria writes that; “After the shooting, Dimka led the way to the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. There he announced over the radio that the government had been overthrown; a broadcast that Pele and the American tennis players heard at the Federal Palace Hotel.
“It is crucial to remember that by this point, Pele had been plying his trade in the United States for over a year and would have no doubt been viewed as an ally of the Americans in a country which was home to plenty of anti-American sentiment.
“Such demonstrations outside the US Embassy had punctuated the months prior and had led to concerns being raised about the tournament and the visit of Pele, but they were quickly dismissed by those in the Nigerian government.”
Pele and the tennis players had to wait anxiously at the hotel for a few more days after the coup. Rumours were of course rife that the hotel was a target for the coupists and could soon be overrun by soldiers.
Days later, however, a decision was reached to allow the tennis players resume play on the 16th. With the borders closed to prevent Dimka from escaping, a 6am to 6pm curfew was announced and enforced.
The tennis players were told that they wouldn’t be allowed to leave Nigeria until they completed their obligations.
Eventually, everyone was forced to evacuate the hotel as tension rose, with Nigeria on the cusp of another uprising and war.
Pele proceeded to the Brazilian embassy and busied himself with a game of cards which he badly lost.
During the semi-final of the tennis tournament between Ashe and Jeff Borowiak, soldiers stormed the court, drew guns at the two players and asked them why they were hell bent on making money amid the instability in Nigeria; and with the nation’s leader dead and the citizenry in mourning.
As Tennis star Ashe stood with the barrel of a gun pressed to his back, those in the stands quickly began to flee. The chaos surrounding the match proved to be the final moment of threat in Nigeria for the players.
Following an agreement with the government in the days that followed, the tennis contingent was allowed to leave the country for Rome at the end of the tournament.
However, the greatest footballer on planet Earth at the time, Pele, still couldn’t get a plane out of Nigeria.
Pele had to endure a waiting game until the borders were completely reopened to the public. Even then, things were not so simple. He had to disguise as a Pilot or Aviator to flee Nigeria.
News Point recalls: “The Brazilian ambassador had concerns with the prospect of his country’s biggest sporting superstar, who resided in the USA at the time, wandering around completely exposed while tensions continued to bubble away.
“It was therefore agreed that Pele would disguise himself as a pilot in order to sneak through the city and onto the flight undetected and unbothered.
“In his youth, Pele had initially set his heart on flying aeroplanes for a living, adding an extra cinematic quality to the plot, but those dreams were halted as a child after he came face-to-face with the corpse of a pilot who had crash-landed near his home in Brazil.
“But, in our minds at least, you can almost imagine him looking at the captain’s hat through teary eyes as his mind flashed back before clearing his throat, pulling the hat on, donning some aviators and snarling: “Let’s do this thing.” The rest, for now, has been left sadly undocumented. But it leaves us all with the opportunity to fill in the gaps between the moment the plan was suggested and Pele’s safe landing back in the USA.”
Adieu Edson Arantes do Nascimento!
Pele’s career in numbers
Pele had received regular treatment from doctors before undergoing surgery to have a tumour on his colon removed in September 2021. He was re-admitted to the hospital as 2022 drew to a close.
His condition failed to improve, with Pele remaining in hospital in Sao Paulo throughout the 2022 World Cup and then for Christmas.
Pele’s daughter, Kely Nascimento, had been providing regular updates on her father’s condition throughout the month, with the world learning of his ill health before his death was confirmed on December 29.
Pele made his debut for Santos in 1956 in what was the start of a career that would turn the game on its head.
The Brazilian forward would revolutionize football with his style of play and rampant goal-scoring over the next 21 years, forging a legacy as one of the most talented players to ever grace a pitch; and bringing forward a style that nobody had ever seen.
He was electric, pacy and skilful.
17-year-old Pele initially announced himself in spectacular style at the 1958 World Cup, firing Brazil to the trophy with the N0. 10 etched on his back, while earning the nickname O Rei (The King) for his exploits.
At Mexico ’62, Pele had undoubtedly become the greatest player in the world.
At club level, a mammoth 18-year spell with Brazilian side Santos saw Pele win six Brazilian titles and two Copa Libertadores crowns.
He would spend his final two years as a player in the booming NASL with the New York Cosmos.
After hanging his boots, Pele worked as an Ambassador around the world, carrying the beautiful game with him to bigger audiences.
Pele won three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), and is currently the only player to do so. He participated in four World Cups. He is still Brazil’s top scorer with 77 goals from 92 caps.
Pele reportedly scored over 1,200 goals throughout his illustrious playing career, including friendlies and tours of the world, while inspiring the next generation of footballers with his undeniable talent and flair that was endlessly ahead of its time.