Pantera Negra "Black Panther" Eusébio dies at 71

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, born 25 January 1942 has died on Sunday 5 January 2014 aged 71 years.  The Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward, simply known as Eusébio, is considered as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was born in Lourenҫo Marques to an Angolan father, Eusébio and Played for the Portuguese team since his home country was an oversea territory and their inhabitants were considered Portuguese.

He was such a gifted footballer that the sobriquets O Rei (The King), the Black Panther, the Black Pearl were part of the many trappings of his legend. He scored 733 goals in 745 matches of his professional career. He possessed a thunderbolt of a shot in his right foot making him a prolific goal scorer and adept at taking free-kicks.   

He was mainly associated with the Portuguese club, Benfica and played 15 years of his 22 as a footballer scoring 638 goals in 614 official games to become the team’s all-time top scorer. He helped the Portuguese national team secure third place at the 1966 World Cup, starring as the top goal scorer of the tournament with 9 goals and receiving the Bronze Ball award. He won the Ballon d’Or (top footballing accolade in European football for a player) award in 1965 and was runner-up in 1962 and 1966.

His footballing career was that outstanding and worthy of accolades that he was regularly listed in best player football lists and polls. This led to his election as the 9th best footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, IFFHS and the 10th best footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the World Soccer magazine. Even the great Pelé, in his 2004 FIFA 100 list, named Eusébio as one of the 125 best living footballers. He was selected as the Golden Player of Portugal by the Portuguese Football Federation as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years during the celebration of UEFA’s Jubilee in 2004 and he has been ascribed as Africa’s greatest-ever player. He was the 7th in the online poll for the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll.

Eusébio receiving the prestigious UEFA President's award from Michel Platini

The UEFA President, Michel Platini, paid tribute after learning of the death of Eusébio at the age of 71. “Today football has lost one of the greatest players ever. On the field, Eusébio was a true legend, both in the colours of Portugal and Benfica. But also off it, he was a true ambassador for Portuguese football on the international stage. He was more than a footballer. A good and charming man, Eusébio will be sadly missed.”

In February 2010 at the UEFA President’s award; the incumbent president, Franz Beckenbauer, spoke of Eusébio early career: “That fine Benfica team was the only team that could measure up to the great Real Madrid in the early 60s. That team had a hero – his name was Eusébio, he came from Mozambique and he became famous as the Pantera Negra (or Back Panther). Eusébio’s worldwide reputation began in May 1962 in the European Champions Clubs’ Cup final against Real Madrid. Eusébio scored two goals and gave a superb exhibition, showing all the skills which made him popular – astonishing speed and a powerful shot.”