During the Nigerian Biafran civil war, based upon the wishes of the Igbo people to break away from the central government dominated by the Hausa-Fulani group from the north of the country. The beginning of 1969 saw Pele heading to Africa, even though the continent was in the throes of bloody upheaval.

Over two years of bitter, internecine violence, an estimated two million Biafrans lost their lives. Up to 4.5m were displaced from their homes before Biafra was overrun and reintegrated into Nigeria.

Santos football club of Brazil and Pele arrived right in the middle of the war, ready to play a match in Lagos on January 26, 1969. However, according to the legend, the guns fell silent when Pele & Co. rolled into town.

For 48 hours, Nigeria and Biafra held a ceasefire, during which Santos drew 2-2 with the Super Eagles, with Pele scoring both goals and receiving a standing ovation from the home fans.

However, other accounts claim that the cessation of hostilities occurred two weeks later in Benin City, on the border with Biafra.

Santos' official website insists that the region's military governor Samuel Ogbemudia decreed a local holiday and opened up the bridge that connected Benin with Biafra so that both sides of the divide could witness Santos' 2-1 victory over Nigeria in front of a crowd of 25,000 spectators.

According to Pele's teammates Gilmar and Coutinho, the ceasefire barely lasted for the game's duration; as the side's plane took off, they could hear from inside the craft the sound of gunshots that marked the resumption of conflict.

Pele Stopped A War In Nigeria In 1969. - Goal.com

"Having stopped a war was one more point in our favor to show our supremacy," fellow Peixe legend Lima recalled to Gazeta Esportiva.

"We could have easily turned around and said, 'War is all around us – why would we enter that mess?' But we didn't. We wanted to do it, and we said: 'We are not obliged to play, but we want to, and we are going to do this.'"

Pele Stopped A War In Nigeria In 1969. - Goal.com

The story reached Time in 2005, with an article from the famous magazine claiming that "Although diplomats and emissaries had tried in vain for two years to stop the fighting in what was then Africa's bloodiest civil war, the 1969 arrival in Nigeria of Brazilian soccer legend Pele brought a three-day ceasefire."

Pele has given mixed recollections of the event, stating in his autobiography that "the Nigerians certainly made sure the Biafrans wouldn't invade Lagos while we were there."

https://gist.am/q/pele-stopped-a-war-in-nigeria-in-1969--goalcom

A trye star has gone to rest!!!

He was an extraordinary footballer, he turned football into art

Let Messi try to stop the Russian war in Ukraine if he is the GOAT.