Footballer and referee José Garrincha dies

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Footballer and referee José Garrincha dies

11:31 CAT | 06 Jun 2016

O País (File photo) / José Ferreira Garrincha

José Ferreira Garrincha died at his home on Sunday morning after fighting cancer of the esophagus for three months. Garrincha was the first FIFA referee in the country Mozambique’s independence.

According to his son Júlio, the family had tried everything to treat the disease, but it was only diagnosed at an advanced stage. “We wanted him to have an operation, but they told us that was not possible.”

With an operation ruled out, chemotherapy was the next option, but the former international football referee did not react well. “Chemotherapy left him weaker; he could not endure it,” Júlio said

José Ferreira Garrincha was born in Santarém, Portugal, 73 years ago. He came to Mozambique in 1962 to do his compulsory military service as a quartermaster in what was then Lourenço Marques. He had played amateur football in his homeland and continued to play here in Mozambique, representing National Athletic as well as his military barracks.

During the transitional government, Garrincha giving up all thought of returning to Portugal and joined Frelimo, one of many who participated actively in the process of Mozambican independence. Even though from the colonial military, and even before the transition period, he had identified strongly with Mozambican ideals.

Garrincha was one of a group including Antonio White, Magid Osman, Boaventura Cossa who took up positions in Mozambique’s first independent government. Garrincha continued playing football until 1968, when leg injuries persuaded him to move to refereeing. It was in fact as a referee that José Ferreira became best known in the Mozambican footballing world.

The funeral service of José Ferreira Garrincha will take place on Tuesday afternoon.

Source: O País / Notícias