Pele death: My memories of di 'King of Football'

Brazilian football legend Pele arguably di greatest player ever, don die at di age of 82.

Pele dey credited to don score 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during e 21-year career, including 77 goals for 92 matches for Brazil.

Im be di only player to win di World Cup three times, e lift di trophy for 1958, 1962 and 1970, dem name Pele Fifa Player of di Century for 2000.

Pele bin dey suffer from kidney and prostate problems in recent years.

My memories of di 'King of Football'

Di last time I see Pele face-to-face im bin dey behind di counter of one Subway for Central London as e dey try fill salad inside sandwich.

Na for March 2015, and no be like say di Brazilian football legend bin dey broke, na publicity stunt wey Subway do as one of Pele plenti endorsement deals.

By den, Pele don meet me several times already, wey make am give me big smile afta im spot me for di crowd of tori pipo. I even dey lucky to get one on one interview with am, but my happiest memory from dat afternoon be say Pele look healthy at di age of 74.

I tell am say, "you make everyone fear with dat hospital business, King".

E laugh tell me say, "You forget say na from Tres Coracoes (Three Hearts in Portuguese) dem born me? E dey hard to put pesin for ground wey get three hearts".

'E be like you meet one of di Avengers'

One year earlier, Pele bin look weak as im show for di football governing joinbodi Fifa award ceremony for Zurich wey cause me like plenty Brazil tori pipo dem to fear say im no go last.

As e turn out, Pele don dey suffer kidney problems, wey worse because im don lose one kidney in di 1970s through di battering by opponents during im 21-year professional career.

Evri time we jam like dis, I go spend di next few days, dey wonder wetin just happun. E be like to meet one of di Avengers, one wey always dey happy to see you.

For many football fans, especially Brazilians, di man dem born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento na di greatest pesin to kick ball.

Dem suppose name football afta Pele.

E still be di only pesin wey don win three Fifa World Cup as player and na only 17-years im bin dey wen Brazil first lift di trophy for 1958.

Twelve years later, e bin dey wit di Brazil side wey win di title for Mexico wit beta ginger sotay dem still dey win polls for di best team wey any country don assemble.

One of di best compliment Pele get from dat competition na from Tarcisio Burgnich of Italy, di defender wey mark di Brazilian for di final.

"I tell myself before di game say 'na skin and bones im be like evri body else'. But I bin dey wrong".

Pele score one and set up two goals for dat game, as Brazil win dia - and im - third World Cup. Dat goal na one of more than 1,200 goals im score for im career.

Unlikely national treasure

Pele bin leave mark wey pass football and make di late US artist Andy Warhol change im famous quote about how fame dey temporary.

Warhol tok say, "Pele na one of di few wey contradict my theory: Instead of 15 minutes of fame, e go get fifteen centuries".

Pele don already retire international duty as player wen dem born me for 1973 but to grow up for Brazil mean say e dey impossible you for you not to hear about wetin e don do.

But to add wit im help to make Brazil di world most successful football kontri. Pele, as black man wey im be, e do sometin wey dey significant, e rise to be national treasure for land wey get past of slavery and legacy of segregation till now.

E bin dey and still be di most famous Brazilian. Evriwia I go, from New York to Africa, na im dem go fist call wen I tell dem wia I from come.

Pele also get critics. Like pipo wey tink say e suppose speak out against di military regime wey rule Brazil between 1964 and 1985 wit iron hand and dia leaders even dey hide under di success of di national team.

Pele no be di only one wey no gree tok among im mates, but na im bin get mouth pass.

For 2021 Netflix documentary, Pele use sorry tone say, "footballers for no fit make difference" for di human rights violation wey happun during military rule.

"If I say I no know about am, I go dey lie. But we no sure wetin bin dey happun."

Later, Pele claim say e refuse to comot international retirement to play for di 1974 World Cup to protest against di military.

Punditry, politics and endorsements

Pele also no actively chook mouth for formal racism fight for Brazil, wen im dey play or afta im retire.

For 2014, dem bash am afta e be like e normalise racist incident for di Brazilian Championship game wen im say e don suffer enough racism for im playing days to "stop evri game I take part in".

Pele personal life also get comma - di arrest of im son, Edson, for involvement in drug trafficking and im refusal to accept Sandra, one daughter dem born for di 1960s afta one affair.

For di Netflix documentary, Pele agree say im get "so many affairs sotay I no get idea of how many pikin I get".

Pele retire finally for 1977 afta im play small for di US failed first attempt to start professional football league.

E no enta management and all im do for di game afta na small-small work as TV pundit. Wen Brazil win di 1994 Men's World Cup and im dey jump up and down wit im headset for di press box for Rose Bowl stadium for Los Angeles still dey make me cry.

E also act soap opera and feem like Escape to Victory and serve as Brazil Minister of Sport from 1995-98.

Pele endorse plenti national and international companies, wey make pipo laugh am like wen e endorse erectile dysfunction for di 2000s.

Pele na who you wan meet for quotes for both national and international media, e no dey bite im tongue even though im go vex famous colleagues.

Brazil World Cup winning forward Romario once tok say, "Pele na poet wen im mouth dey shut".

E also dey make off prediction.

Pele for di 1970s say African team "go win di World Cup before di 21st Century" - African kontri neva reach World Cup final before.

E also tok say Colombia go win di 1994 World Cup afta dem demolish Argentina to qualify but dem comot for first round afta dem lose to di US.

'My history for di game gimme right to speak my mind'

E tell me for Berlin for 2006 wen I jam am for one luxury hotel with im and im staff and we dey watch England World Cup round of 16 match against Ecuador, say: "I tink my history of di game gimme right to tok my mind".

Dat afternoon, e para and hala against evri tin and evri one wey im say yab am unfairly, including Diego Maradona. E be pure gold for ogbonge tori but e no go comot as e don tell me say, "You dey here as friend not as tori pesin".

Who I be to go against di King? But wen France comot Brazil for quater-finals, Pele give me im only interview to react to di result.

Since di ogbonge arrival of Lionel Messi, many don dey tempted to claim say Messi don collect im throne as world best player. But di King no gree.

Pele tell me for London say, "I fit score headers and kick wit both feet, but Messi dey use im left pass. E also need to score a thousand goals".

I wish I get chance to tell Pele one more time in pesin say di Argentine still dey yet to win three World Cup trophies.

Dat bin dey make di King laugh. And I go miss dat laughter wella.