The day Pele ‘stopped’ a war in Nigeria
In 1969, Pelé's Santos traveled from Brazil to Africa to play a friendly match; and legend has it that O Rei actually stopped a civil war in Nigeria.
One of the most famous stories about Pelé's influence on not just the sports world, but the entire world took place in 1969, while he was playing for Santos FC . The Brazilian side are said to have stopped the civil war in Nigeria for a few moments when they visited the country to play a friendly.
Led by ‘O Rei’, Santos touched down in the war torn country on February 4, 1969. Over the years it has been reported that the star studded squad managed to stop the Biafra war, which resulted in over a million deaths according to reports, for a brief moment.
Before Santos agreed to the friendly in such a dangerous place, the CONMEBOL side asked for all the necessary guarantees to ensure their safety upon arrival in Nigeria. Samuel Ogbemudia, who was local governor at the time, ordered a public holiday on the same day that Santos arrived in Benin. When it was all said and done, everything went according to plan in the historic visit of ‘King’ Pelé to the African Continent.
Many question the story
Over time, the legendary tale of Pelé stopping the civil war in Nigeria has generated debates among fans, as well as experts in the field who have dedicated themselves to studying what happened in 1969.
Researchers have indicated that Santos was used as war propaganda and the area that they play did not represent a great risk, since the war was far away and Santos was never in danger.
Soccer has sometimes been used strategically for social and political purposes, and war is not excluded in this regard. In the specific case of Santos from Brazil and his trip to Nigeria in 1969, doubts and discrepancies will continue over the years, but the most faithful admirers of ‘O Rei’ and the club itself proudly point out that the figure of the World soccer managed to establish peace for a few moments.