Nigeria Football Supporters Club Honours Late King Pele, Opens Condolence Register For Him
By Akeem Busari
It has continued to be torrents of outpouring of emotions by the whole football world, as King of football, Arantes Do Nascimento, famously known as Pele, was laid to rest Tuesday, in Brazil.
Expectedly, Nigeria’s foremost football fans group, Nigeria Football Supporters Club, was quick to take the initiative in celebrating the iconic former footballer, as it opened a condolence register in honour of late Pele, at its national headquarters in Surulere, for its members and the public to express their feelings about late Pele.
The occasion, which was well attended, saw people from various walks of life, stormed the NFSC office, as they took turns to pay their last respect to Pele in words.
The National Chairman, Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Ambassador Samuel Ikpea, described Pele,” as a great, iconic and accomplished player, who was a good example and an ambassador of the beautiful game.”
He added that the world will forever remember and miss him. Ikpea, who also doubles as Ambassador of Santos Football Club to Nigeria, a former club of the late football King, remembered the unforgettable roles Pele played during the civil war in the country, where he and many others risked their lives to play a game in Benin bringing temporary end to the war.
He advised the youths to follow the exemplary footsteps of Pele.
On plans to immortalize Pele, Ikpea said ; “I’m in talks with the Brazil Ambassador to Nigeria on that. By the time we finalize, we are going to have a football competition which will be tagged, “Pele Cup”, that will be donated by the Brazil Consulate here in Nigeria and it’s going to be annual”, he said.
