by Basit Jamiu
There are so many accounts of Pelé’s heroics but one that stands out for many Nigerians was when his visit to the country paused the ongoing civil war.
The Brazilian legend passed away on Thursday after over 8 decades of memorable life. He died at the age of 82 on January 29, 2022.
Biafran War
Nigeria experienced one of the worst human conflicts in history which led to the death and displacement of millions.
The Biafran war as it is now come to be known was about the Southern region yearning to break away from the central government and the Northern insistence to keep them in Nigeria.
The war lasted for over two years and when it finally ended, its impact on Nigeria is still being felt up till now.
How Pele Paused the Nigerian Civil War
The Brazilian striker was a legend in Nigeria loved by both old and young in all parts of the country.
In 1969 after the Piexe -as the Brazilian fantastic team were called – had won several championships which include the World cup; at a time when the war was at its peak, they came to Nigeria.
A friendly match between the super eagles and Pelé’s team was held in Lagos stadium on January 26, 1969.
At the time it was announced that the Piexe had arrived in Nigeria, the two warring sides held a ceasefire.
The Gun Fell Silent
The match ended in a 2-2 draw and Pele scored the two goals. He was later substituted with rousing cheers from the crowd.
While the Brazilian courageous feat to Nigeria did not entirely stop the war, it was almost impossible to inspire a ceasefire of a war of that magnitude at the time.
“Having stopped a war was one more point in our favour to show our supremacy,” Lima, a Brazilian legend who was part of the players that came to Nigeria, had said.
“We could have easily turned around and said, ‘War is all around us – why would we enter that mess?’ But we didn’t. We wanted to do it and we said: ‘We are not obliged to play, but we want to and we are going to do this,'” he added.
The war finally stopped months later, although it can not be attributed to the friendly match, it remains incredible that Pele and his team had it in them to stop an ongoing bloodshed.
“Although diplomats and emissaries had tried in vain for two years to stop the fighting in what was then Africa’s bloodiest civil war, the 1969 arrival in Nigeria of Brazilian soccer legend Pele brought a three-day ceasefire,” TIME Magazine wrote in 2005.
