Pele was so good at football that his play "pause" war in Nigeria Bashny.Net

It turns out that sport has a huge political force that can be sent or to incite war or to create mira

Reputation Football Association does not allow to call it great power, bearing peace. For example, the qualifying round of the World Cup 1970, played a key role in the beginning of the so-called "Soccer War" between El Salvador and Honduras.



But football has an undeniable ability to bring people together. In fact, a football match was stopped one of the most brutal conflicts of XX-th century - the civil war in Nigeria. The tragic civil war between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra led unrecognized international condemnation and in fact played a key role in the development of a modern system of humanitarian aid. Despite this, the international community failed to persuade the parties to agree to an armistice. However, the international community - is not Pele.



In 1969, the football star was to visit Nigeria with a series of friendly matches with his Brazilian team «Santos». About Match agree very in advance, so the Brazilians, for financial reasons they decided not to cancel. While «Santos» was so good that it ceased to participate in the South American Championship and began to travel around the world, receiving a huge amount for the defeat of the local teams. And the World Cup winner Pele, of course, was the best player in the world. Therefore, it is clear that no one wanted to miss this spectacle because of such things as ethnic war. Both parties quickly agreed on a 48-hour truce, and both sides reported the presence at the match, with some people brought with them to the stadium chairs to organize additional space. But 48 hours later, they returned to murder each other.

Fortunately, there are less depressing version of the football world. In 2005, the Ivorian star Didier Drogba took advantage of the wave of euphoria caused by the success of the national team in the qualifying round of the World Cup of 2006, to make a passionate appeal for an end to a brutal civil war, to destroy his country. The cease-fire was announced during the week.

via factroom.ru