He has been having heart problems in the recent years and had a heart operation two or three years ago and was doing okay until the one of yeaterday.
The football legend, whose goal scoring record was phenominal was born in Mozambique, Africa. He was a highly skillful and talented teenager playing for a local team in Maputo called Sporting Lourenco da Marques, a club that had link with Sporting Lisbon.
Sporting Lisbon was about to sign him but Benfica got the wind of it and beat them to his signature. So when in the late 1960 he was brought to Lisbon, tension was very high, that Benfica feared that Sporting may kidnap him or harm him, so they hid the kid in the Algarve village, until the tension calmed down.
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| Eusebio da Silva Ferreira |
In 1961, when he debut for Benfica, he showed the Portuguese people, why the two teams where at war for his signature. He scored a hat-trick in the match.
Eusebio had an amazing gift with the beautiful game. He was not only the greatest footballer in Portugal, but the first real football super star from Africa. He was among the greatest footballers in the world.
The President of the world football governing body (Fifa), Mr Joseph Sepp Blatter, wrote on twitter, ''Football has lost a legend. But Eusebio's place among the greats will never be taken away.''
He was the first football super-star of Portugal. His goal scoring ability was enhanced by his energetic speed, dribbling skills and tantalising finishes. He played 64 times for Portugal and scored 41 goals.
He scored 733 goals in 745 matches, an average of almost a goal per game. This is an amazing record. He led Benfica in 1962 in the European Cup final against the defending champion Real Madrid, which was dorminating European football for a while. Benfica won the game 5 - 3.
In the 15 years that Eusebio played for Benfica, he won 11 league titles and 5 Portuguese Cups. He was the European footballer of the year in 1965 and would of won back to back in 1966 but for the vote of a Portuguese journalist who voted for Bobby Charlton, so he lost 80 to 81 votes.
The Black Panther was also the highest goal scorer at the 1966 World Cup in England with 9 goals, four of which he scored against Korea.
"He was one of the finest players I ever had the privilege to play against,'' the former Manchester United and England player, Bobby Charlton, said.
''Not only that, he was a true sportsman. His goals record is incredible and stands the test of time,'' he added.
The President of Portugal, Anibal Cavaco Silva, said, ''Portugal has today lost one of it's most beloved sons, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira. The country mourns his death.''
Tribute to the legend continued. The man who is currently wearing the badge of Portugal's super-star, Cristiano Ronaldo wrote on the Facebook.
''Eusebio will always be eternal. Rest In Peace.'' He posted a picture he took with the great man.
The king himself seemed to regret one thing, and that was not being able to win the World Cup in 1966 after being so close to it. He said, in an interview in 2011, ''I was the best player in the world, top scorer in the world and Europe. I did everything, except win a World Cup.''
The Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, who knew Eusebio since he was a child said to the media of the legend footballer.
Read also: africanfootie.blogspot.com
''For you, Eusebio is one of the greatest footballers of the history of football, especially for the people from our generation and older than us. He's at this level. Eusebio, Charlton, Pele.''
''For Portugal he means more than that. No colour, no clubs, no political sides. For Portuguese people Eusebio is Eusebio and for sure you will get some images over the next couple of days and I think you will understand what Eusebio means for our country.''
''I know him since I was a kid. He played against my father (Felix). He played with my father in the national team. I met him when I was a kid. Our birthdays were separated by one day. His January 25, I'm January 26. Every year when I was a kid he was sending me a shirt, a ball, a boot,'' Mourinho concluded. Felix Mourinho, was the goalkeeper and team-mate of Eusebio in the Portuguese national team.
Eusebio was a complete gentle man. After his football career ended in 1979, he became the football ambassador for Benfica and Portugal. He had two daughters. May his soul rest in peace, amen.
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