‘Born to play football’: Singapore’s football fraternity remembers the influence and greatness of Pele

Pele, one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday (Dec 29) at the age of 82.

Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, where Pele was undergoing treatment, said he died at 3.27pm “due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition”.

He took home three World Cup winner’s medals, the first time as a 17-year-old in Sweden in 1958, the second in Chile four years later – even though he missed most of the tournament through injury – and the third in Mexico in 1970, when he led what is considered to be one of the greatest sides ever to play the game.

He retired from Santos in 1974 but a year later made a surprise comeback by signing a lucrative deal to join the New York Cosmos in the then nascent North American Soccer League.

Describing Pele as a “footballing superpower”, footballer-turned-pundit Rhysh Roshan Rai noted that he contributed immensely to Brazil’s success.

“When you think back of what Brazil were before his time and what he was able to achieve with them – essentially playing a part in three World Cups – turning them into one of the great footballing nations, it’s a great blow to the football world,” said Roshan.

A BIG INFLUENCE

It was Pele and the Brazilian brand of football which converted Pathmanathan into a Selecao fan growing up.

“I saw a lot of Brazilian football highlights where he played. I remember when he had midfielders like Rivelino and Tostao backing him up, it was an amazing team,” said Pathmanathan. “We didn’t have many opportunities to watch (football), but whenever we were watching Brazil play, I really got very excited.”

Pathmanathan, who used to captain the Singapore national team, was a ball-playing centre-back who fans used to call “Captain Marvel”. And Samba football left an indelible mark on his career.

“It stayed on in my life, as I grew up and played football at a higher level … Sometimes, the coaches would say that I give them a bit of a heart attack because I liked to control the ball and get out of tight situations. That’s how I enjoyed playing,” he said.

“I was really influenced by their way of playing football that even in my playing career, I used to play a lot of the ball … I was so impressed by the ball control with his play.”

Pele’s dribbling skills also left an impression on former Singapore striker and coach V Sundramoorthy. 

“You could see the close control of the ball (he had). These were the things that we wanted to practice and pick up so that we could improve our game … The ball was glued to his feet,” said Sundram, who was well-known for his flair during his playing days.

Brazilian coach Fabio da Silva recalled how he too was inspired by Pele. 

“During my growing up years, playing football as a young boy, my father used to always put Pele as a reference point for me,” said da Silva, who coaches at the Brazilian Jericho Soccer academy as well as Meridian Secondary School and Tampines Meridian Junior College. 

“The memories of Pele lifting the World Cup three times, especially the last one in 1970, was always etched in my memory. That truly inspired me, and millions over, to one day become a footballer myself.”

Pele was also a reminder to play the game in the “right spirit” and to bring joy to the game of football, added da Silva.

“Personally for me, it has been a privilege to have lived and played the game during Pele’s lifetime,” he explained.