Eusebio Ferreira da Silva

World soccer player,  nick name "Black Panther", "Black Pearl"
(25.01.1942 Lourenzo Marques/Mozambique)

Born close to Mozambiques todays capital Maputo, he gained 1960 the attention of talent scouts of the Portugese soccer club Benfica Lissabon, as they where searching in the that time Portugese colony for young talents. They brought him to Lissboa where he played for around 15 years for Benfica, or, in other words, where he had to play. There are numerous reports how Eusebio was used by his club. Whenever he wanted to change the club, Benfica asked for unrealistic, astronomic transfer fees. It is said that Eusebio asked the Portugese president Antonio Salazar three times for permission to join a club abroad, but was never granted permission. He was treated like a Portugese state property and is regarded as a victim of late colonial slavery.

But his athletic perfomance did never suffer. He won the Portugese national championship with Benfica eleven times, they won the national cup five times. 1965 he was elected as the European soccer player of the year. 1966 he became the top scorer at the World Cup tournament, where Portugal ended as the third winner. 1968 he became European topscorer of the year.

Only at the end of his sport carrier Portugal let him go. He playedfor some clubs in Central and North America and ended his carrier after a severe injury 1978 at the club New Jersey Americans. Today he is one of the representatives of the Portugese Soccer Association and represents Portugal during international spoort events.