The two times Pelé visited Nigeria; check out the agbada he wore on his second visit

The late Pele was a global citizen adored by fans the world over. At 17, the ace footballer had captured the attention of the world following his heroics at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Pele, who was the youngest player ever to feature at the FIFA World Cup in 1958 announced himself to the world after scoring in all three of Brazil's knockout games.

He became a phenomenal global icon, one that millions across the globe connected with long before the advent of social media.

Despite not playing outside the shores of Brazil as he was barred from being sold to any foreign club, his fame still spread abroad while he was still playing for Santos locally.

The global icon visited Africa's most populous country, Nigeria on two special occasions.

Pele's first visit to Nigeria was in 1969 when he came alongside his Santos teammates during the Civil War. Some reports claim his visit led to a ceasefire in Africa's deadliest region.

Nine years down the line, the Brazilian soccer legend paid his second visit to Nigeria, this time with Fluminense.

He played two matches - one against the national team, then Green Eagles and the other, against Racca Rovers in Kaduna.

Pele won three World Cups for Brazil and is widely regarded as the greatest of all time.

He was a true citizen of the world. He died in Sao Paolo on 29th December 2022 at 82.





WDN