Seeing is believing — Brazil can boast of a ‘Paralympic Pele’ now
rio de janeiro — Born with glaucoma, Jeferson da Conceicao Goncalves, known as “Jefinho,” was completely blind by age 7, three years before he learned to play football. He had seen images of Pele but never watched videos of the legendary Brazilian soccer player in action.
Yet Jefinho, who could win a third consecutive Paralympic gold medal with Brazil’s football 5-aside team this week, has been dubbed the “Paralympic Pele” for his success and playing style.
“It’s an honour for me to be compared to an athlete like Pele,” said Jefinho, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke through a translator.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known globally as “Pele”, won three World Cup titles and was named the Athlete of the Century in 1999 by the International Olympic Committee.
“In the era that Pele played, he played really well,” Tiago da Silva, Jefinho’s teammate, said, “but if he puts the blindfold on, he’s not going to play well.”
In football 5-a-side, each team competes with four blindfolded players and one goalie who is not visually impaired.
The field is smaller than a traditional soccer pitch and walled in so the ball cannot go out of bounds, and there are two 25-minute halves.
The ball makes a noise each time it moves. Coaches give their players verbal commands and clank metal against the goalposts in order to indicate which way their players need to go.
“He’s a unique player who has already been considered to be the best player in the world,” Fabio Vasconcelos, Brazil’s football 5-aside coach, said of Jefinho. “I did not see Pele play, but he was a phenomenal player. I don’t know if you can compare both of them, but for me, Jefinho is a phenomenal football player.”
Vasconcelos agreed that Pele wouldn’t play as well with a blindfold on. However, Jefinho has faith in his counterpart.
“He gave us three World Cup titles. Even with just one leg, Pele would play really well,” said Jefinho, 26, who joined Brazil’s football 5-a-side team when he was 17.
He led Brazil to two back-to-back Paralympic gold medals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Brazil play China in the Rio 2016 semifinals later on Thursday. The bronze — and gold-medal games — are on Saturday.
“He seems like he could actually see the ball and where the players are,” Brazilian fan Fabiana da Silva dos Santos said of Jefinho. “He passes the ball just as if he was seeing everything.” —