South African football legend Jomo Sono strongly believes there is still no better player in the whole world than his former teammate and Brazil legend Pele.
Players such as Argentina legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi as well Cristiano Ronaldo are among those regarded as the greatest footballers but the man known as the Troublemaker during his playing days disagrees.
Sono played alongside Pele at New York Cosmos in 1977, and the now Jomo Cosmos owner said whoever dubbed the 79-year-old as the greatest of all time was '102 percent' correct.
"Whoever said Pele is the greatest, was 102 percent right. He was the greatest," said Sono in an interview with SAFM.
Asked why he feels Pele is the greatest, Sono said: "The guy was unbelievable. I mean, Pele used to score with the head, Pele used to score with the left foot. Pele used to score with the right foot."
The 64-year-old mentor said it is easy to stop both Messi and Maradona.
"Messi, you block the left [foot], you have a chance. Maradona, you blocked the left [foot] you have a chance," he added.
Born Madoda Walletjies Mkulwana in Queenstown, Sono also revealed that he was given the name Ephraim Matsilele Sono soon after moving to Johannesburg to stay with his paternal grandparents.
"I was born in Queenstown and my real name is Walletjies Madoda Mkhulwa. My sister and I got sick; we were very young. We were very ill - this is what I hear from my aunties. And my sister passed on.
"And my grandmother, from my mother's side, said, 'No, this one cannot pass on. Let's take him to Jo'burg because there are better clinics there.'
"So she took a train and she knocked and she gave me to my [parternal] grandmother, and they had to change my name into Ephraim Matsilele Sono."
"Matsilele is the name of my great, great grandfather from my father's side," revealed Sono.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)