PELE AFRICANA (1958-1977)

   Okello Oculi pays tribute to Pele, Brazilian football legend

The ‘’KING OF FOOTBALL’’, PELE broke Colonialism’s ‘Cruel and Racist Curtains’ erected to block his rare talents as a footballer from reaching to shatter denials of the humanity of African peoples.

His scoring three goals in the 5-2 defeat of Sweden in the final of the 1958 World Cup played in Sweden was hidden by European silence.  Even Sweden did not use film clips of it to win hearts and dreams in Africa during and after colonial dictatorships.

Like a glow of the Sun, PELE’S awesome talents met a hunger for affirmation of human equality in oppressed Africans. He shared heroism abroad and racial humiliation at home with legendary Heavy Weight Boxer: MOHAMMED ALI.

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After slaughtering thousands of supporters of Brazil’s Communist Party, Brazil’s post-1964 military regime saw football as a palliative to poverty, underemployment and hunger among landless classes being exploited by landlords who were often parents of top military officer class. The Communist Party’s support was rooted in exposing injustices in Brazil.

In 1970, the President went on national television to appeal for PELE to participate in the World Cup tournament to be hosted by Mexico. Brazil’s victory prevented the shame of victory going to a team from Europe.

PELE felt pressured to serve a nation with a rare passion for the game of football. Triumphant Brazilian players carried PELE shoulder high.  Critics of military dictatorship accused PELE of becoming a tool manipulated by a corrupt regime.

Kanu reported similar pressures for the Nigerian team not to play the final match for the gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Their Dutch coach was persuaded that a refusal to play would shine a light of shame against General Sani Abacha at a globally loud event. Kanu Nwankwo persuaded the team to win for thunderous roars of football crazy Nigerians back home. In this respect the team followed PELE’S haloed footprints in using football to ‘Spoil a nation BIG’.

Henry Kessinger, as Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs Minister) extracted from Brazil an agreement to send PELE as a loan to the United States. PELE would give high visibility to a game Americans prefer to call ‘’SOCCER’’ – in a legacy of wiping away anything associated with British colonial tyranny.

Brazilian governments had declared to be a ‘’NATIONAL TREASURE’’ to prevent European teams from buying his artistry. Henry Kessinger exploited the panic among Brazilian military about the possibility of CUBA sending Afro-Cuban troops to liberate leaders of Brazil’s Community Party. In exchange for a pledge published on the front page of the New York Times newspaper (to use American troops against Cuba’s invasion), the military government agreed to pour PELE’S football charisma across America’s cultural landscape.

There was a vast ready audience of immigrants ranging from Mexico to Peru and Chile. America’s main competitive sports were out of reach for them. BASKETBALL is dominated by players who average Seven feet tall; while American Football – a localized version of British Rugby – were dominated by human versions of RINOCHERUS and ELEPHANTS – as defence units; and FLYING GAZZELS as ‘’running backs’’ and ‘’touchdown’’ squads. This second group are drawn from the country’s Olympic heroes in sprint sports.

While PELE was known to equal an Olympic sprinter and leapt up to SIX FEET (and SUSPEND himself in midair to score a goal with his head), most Latin American immigrants could play the game of ‘’football’’ of which PELE was a new missionary.  America’s ‘’SOCCER’’ team reached ‘’the Group of 16’’ in QATAR. It was a shame that they did not pay tribute to their game’s ancestor, the ailing PELE. Perhaps Washington cannot forgive PELE’S returning to Brazil.

Brazil also used PELE to open diplomatic gates in some African countries. It is reported that during Nigeria’s civil war, combatants halted fighting to watch PELE playing in a football match in Lagos. Fighting resumed after that game. Brazil’s airline VARIG began flights between Rio de Janeiro and Lagos.

It seems plausible to attribute a decline in the artistry in football to the massive importation of Brazilian players to European clubs. PELE once observed that in 17-agegroup tournaments, opponents only see heels of Nigeria’s players. However, when they join European teams, European coaches ‘’panel beat’’ artistry and creativity out of their play.

 This observation may be applied to Brazilian players too. In past World Cup contests, the world waited for novel tricks from Brazil’s team. Players pruned by European coaches now offer nothing thrilling. In the 1966 World Cup in England, coaches of Poland and Portugal instructed players to crowd around PELE and focus on breaking his leg. CloseupTelevision pictures showed their SAVAGERY at the player whose dazzling runs, dribbles and goals made people call football ‘’THE BEAUTIFUL GAME’’.

CAF and Africa’s coaches must honour PELE by combating European ‘’panel-beaters’’.

  Prof Oculi writes from Abuja