Kunishige Kamamoto, considered the best striker in Japanese football history, with 75 goals scored in 76 matches by blue samurai, died on Sunday (10) at the age of 81, as a result of pneumonia, announced on Monday (11) the Japanese Football Federation (JFA).
Kyoto’s native was the scorer of the Mexico Olympic tournament in 1968 with seven goals when Japan won the bronze medal.
Yanmar Diesel, now Cerezo Osaka, was the club of his career, scoring a total of 202 goals in 251 matches of the Japanese championship.
In his club’s farewell match as a player, Pelé, a friend of Kamamoto, was one of the guests.
In the final phase of his career, he also reconciled his playing career with the team coach until his lawyer retirement in 1984.
He then continued his coach career until 1995 and three years later became JFA vice president. He was also director of the 2002 World Cup organizing committee, co-organized by Japan and South Korea.
Kamamoto also combined his career as a soccer coach with that of politician, having been elected to the House of Representatives in 1995.
The current coach of the Japanese national team, Hajime Moriyasu, praised Kamamoto, “who gave the Japanese a radius of hope that he could compete at an international level.”
Another myth of Japanese football, Kasuyoshi Miura, better known as Kazu, who continues to play despite being 58 years old, recalled that Pelé himself said that Kamamoto was “a great striker” when the Brazilian participated in the tribute match for the retirement of the deceased now.
“When I heard King Pelé say he was ‘a great attacker’, I was proud as Japanese and I still remember that,” said the second greatest scorer in the history of the Japanese team with 55 goals.
