NAGOLI’S ICONIC BRAZILIAN CLUB SANTOS RELEGATED
KENNEDY Nagoli’s iconic former club Santos were relegated for the first time in their 111-year history on Wednesday following a 2-1 home loss to Fortaleza in the final round of Brazil’s Serie A.
Former Warriors star, Nagoli, featured for Santos, the club which superstar Pele played for, in the ‘90s.
“I was bought by Jomo Cosmos in 1992,” said Nagoli.
“And, that time Pele came to South Africa to promote something which had to do with Mastercard.
“He told (Jomo) Sono that ‘I am taking these boys with me, referring to me and Arthur Zwane.’
“I had played two seasons at Cosmos and left for Brazil.
“Sono played together with Pele in the US at New York Cosmos, before he returned home to establish his team Jomo Cosmos.”
Nagoli played in the Brazilian Serie A at the same time as Rivaldho.
Santos, who also gave the world Neymar and Rodrygo, were one of three clubs, along with Sao Paulo and Flamengo,
never to have been relegated from Brazil’s top-flight league.
But, a woeful run of five games without
a victory saw them drop to 17th in the standings with 43 points.
Santos were the top club in the world in the early ‘60s, with Pele at the peak of his powers, and were crowned the Club World Champions in 1962 and 1963.
City Football Group-owned Bahia secured their top-flight status with a resounding 4-1 win over Atletico Mineiro, while Vasco da Gama stayed out of the drop zone with a 2-1 win over Bragantino.
Santos had looked set to stave off relegation when they stood level at 1-1 with Fortaleza in the second half and with Vasco being held 1-1 by Bragantino.
However, Serginho’s goal for Vasco in the 82nd minute and a stoppage-time goal from Fortaleza’s Lucero condemned the three-times Copa Libertadores champions to relegation in front of their frustrated home fans.
At the other end of the table, Endrick, who is set to join Real Madrid in July, scored in the 21st minute to help Palmeiras to a 1-1 draw at Cruzeiro that secured back-to back championships and a record-extending 12th title. −