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‘He remains golden face of football’ – Moses Kpakor eulogies Brazilian great Pele
By Wale Mustapha
Former Nigerian international, Moses Kpakor has described the great football icon, Pele as beautiful face of football with his contributions to the global sport.
The great Pele died on Thursday at the age of 82 after battling with series if illness. Born as Edson Arante Dos Nacsimento in 1940 in Rio, Brazil, Pele used his talents to make the game of football attractive and admirable, winning three FIFA World Cup with Brazil and lots of club and individual laurels with his boyhood club, Santos FC.
His demise brought a new round of comparison with other great football stars, the latest and expectedly, Argentina captain, Lionel Messi.
Kpakor who was responding to conversation regarding comparison between both players said only those who don’t see of heard about Pele’s feats will bring him to down be discussed other players.
“Well, you will have to upgrade, for there are available soccer literatures, videos and assertions by great soccer historians and former renowned players of all eras all over the world who have given it to King Pele. So I ask under what authority you speaking from?,” he told media.
“Pele has not only won the World Cup three times. Pele was a scorer of 1,280 career goals, a winner of FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 11 times top scorer in the Brazilian league, which 9 times were consecutively, and a winner of 31 career cups or trophies.
“Because you didn’t watch Pele doesn’t minimize these glories, or are they surpassed by not even Diego Amanda Maradona. Apart from his feats on the football field, Pele was and still, and would forever remain the golden face of football, a Sport that he once called the “Beautiful Game Game”.
While some argue that despite Pele’s remarkable impact in making football more attractive and loved by many due to his mesmerizing skills ans goal scoring prowess, others believe Messi will go down as the best footballer ever.
However, one player who was touted as one of the best play makers from Nigeria, Moses Kpakor has described the comparison as degrading to Pele and his achievements to the game of football.
“Pele later enlarged into an Iconic global figure outside becoming Ambassador of United Nations on Environment, a Minister of Sports, involvement in politics, governance, charity works, etc,” he continued.
“The world in all generations is yet to produce a player greater than Pele, with such pedigree, love, humaness, charity and what have you. PELE IS THE GOAT.
This is the conclusion of the greater percentage of the world’s soccer/sports historians, coaches, former and present footballers and football community of all eras. Rest in peace. Pele of Brazil, the GOAT.”
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