Description: This vivid, multi-colored postage stamp from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea highlights the legendary Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin (inscribed as Yachine). Released in tandem with the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany, the action illustration showcases a goalkeeper clad in a black jersey leaping sideways to deflect a soccer ball out of mid-air. Hovering above the pitch scene is a detailed circular portrait of Yashin alongside a small red Soviet flag banner and an engraved Jules Rimet Trophy silhouette. The composition is bounded by the large vertical text "ECUATORIAL" on the right, balanced by a "0.70 PESETA" face value block resting securely in the lower right corner.
Circa: 1974
Condition: Hinged CTO
Notes:
Lev Yashin, affectionately nicknamed the "Black Spider" due to his trademark all-black playing kit, remains the only goalkeeper in international football history to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or.
The stamp features the year "1962" below the Soviet flag banner, marking the specific FIFA World Cup tournament in Chile where Yashin famously battled through concussions to lead the USSR to the quarter-finals.