President Silva stated in his message of condolence: "The Portuguese people mourn the loss of this sports icon; the people will always remember his leadership and winning spirit."
Mário Coluna passed away on the 25th in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, due to a severe lung infection at the age of 78. As a core midfielder, Coluna played 57 times for the Portuguese national team, scoring 8 goals, and led the team to a third-place finish as captain in the 1966 World Cup. During his 17 seasons with Benfica, Coluna brought the club 2 European Cup titles, 10 league championships, and 6 Portuguese Cups.
Coluna had played alongside the Mozambican-born Portuguese star, the "Black Panther" Eusébio, who passed away in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon on January 5th of this year, for both Benfica and the Portuguese national team. However, unlike Eusébio, who was also born in Mozambique, Coluna chose to return to his homeland at the end of his professional career, subsequently serving as the coach of the Mozambique national team and president of the football association.
