Legendary Brazilian footballer Pele, who departed recently, had arrived to India to play a football match in Kolkata in 1977. The game between New York Cosmos and Mohun Bagan, which was the penultimate one of his illustrious career, ended 2-2 at the Eden Gardens in front of 80,000 spectators.
The passing away of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as ‘Pele’, at the age of 82 has brought upon a great sadness to the world of football and sports. The only player to win three FIFA World Cups and one of the greatest ever to kick a football, Pele had captivated the collective imagination of the entire planet and had helped transform the Beautiful Game into a truly global marvel.
Such was his genius and prowess, that his name was synonymous with the sport at every corner of the world. The date of September 24, 1977 still remains etched in the hearts and minds of hardcore football lovers in India. It was on that day that the Emperor of the Sport, its ‘Black Pearl’ showcased his skills and tricks at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
In the twilight years of his career and playing for American side New York Cosmos back then, Pele had embarked with his side on a goodwill tour of Asia. After marking his influence in Japan and China, Pele landed in Kolkata and as he stepped off from his flight at midnight, an entire city fell in love.
“Lakhs of people gathered outside the Dum Dum Airport to greet the Brazilian legend. There were also teeming crowds outside his hotel in central Kolkata, waiting to catch a glimpse of the only man who had won three World Cups for his team,” wrote eminent football historian Novy Kapadia in his book, Barefoot to Boots.
When the possibility of watching Pele - a man that most Indians had only heard about on the radios and read about in newspapers - became a reality, there was no shortage to public demand. Over 80,000 people flocked to the stands of the Eden Gardens to watch the then 37-year-old Pele in action for New York Cosmos against Mohun Bagan. As many as 35,000 police personnel were dispersed to keep order in the city and in the stadium.
However, not everything was rainbows and sunshine. Continuous spells of rain had dampened the pitch and it had almost become unplayable. Pele, shocked at the condition of the grass and the field, refused to take any part in the match. It was only on the request of Mohun Bagan top brass as well as police personnel, who feared an immense public backlash if their idol didn’t play the game, that the Brazilian World Cup winner changed his mind.
Pele appeared for half an hour and dazzled the crowd against a gritty and resilient Mariners side coached by the legendary PK Banerjee. The game ended in a 2-2 draw and Mohun Bagan could’ve even won 2-1 had it not been for a controversial penalty awarded late in the game to New York Cosmos.
Bagan striker Mohammed Habib was the player of the match and was personally congratulated by Pele after the game on his amazing performance while special words of praise were also reserved for midfielder Gautam Sarkar, who had been given the daunting task of man-marking the ‘Black Pearl.’
It proved to be the penultimate match in the career of arguably the greatest footballer of all time and it’s heartening to know that India and Kolkata will always remain associated with the legendary myth that was Pele.