The day I met Pele, football’s greatest player
By Lewis Betsy
As the world of football pays tribute to the genius of Brazilian footballer Pele, who has died aged 82, I remember with warmth the time I met the great man in Seychelles.
Pele’s actual name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, and he arrived at the archipelago on February 18, 1979, after my then club, Rovers invited him over.
A Pele Cup was organised between Rovers and players picked from different local sides including myself, Charles Alcindor, Ralph Micock, Max Racombo, and Suketu Patel. The match ended 1-1.
Pele was guest of honour, but left his seat at half-time to do a little demonstration on the pitch where he kicked the ball and bounced it on his knees.
He was a nice chap to be around and though he was a giant of football, I took note of his smaller stature at 5ft 8 inches (1.73m).
I was impressed to see him in Seychelles. He spent a week with us, and gave us a few tips, though he did not play a game.
He was then signed to New York Cosmos and he clearly didn’t want to hurt himself while playing any friendlies. With the money he was obviously earning at that late stage of his career, I can understand why he didn’t want to put himself at risk.
However, his visit was a special moment for Seychelles and it was a time I will always treasure.