They opened the doors on Brazil’s training session at Estádio Morumbi on Thursday, and about 5 000 locals poured in to get a glimpse of their heroes.
There wasn’t a lot to set the pulses racing as Mano Menezes’s side went through a few relaxed training drills, but that didn’t stop the festive spirit among the fans, with chants of “Braaaazil, Braaaaaazil” ringing through the winter air.
The players seemed to enjoy the vibe, too, Chelsea defender David Luiz raising a thumb above his abundance of hair, the crowd roaring their approval in response.
Such an attendance at a training session would surely be unlikely in any other country than Brazil, where football is a national passion.
On Friday night, Bafana Bafana will get their own taste of the beautiful game, samba style, as they take on Brazil in front of slightly more fans, with the stadium perhaps even filled to its 72 000-person brim (kick-off 8.45pm SA time).
Luiz was born in São Paulo, and started his career in the youth development structures at São Paulo FC, who play their home games at Estádio Morumbi.
And Luiz is far from the only player in the Seleção squad with his roots in São Paulo FC.
Chelsea’s new midfielder, Oscar, came through São Paulo FC’s youth structures and started his senior career there, too, before moving to another São Paulo club, Internacional, and on to Stamford Bridge this season for a mere £25 million.
But the most recent hero of São Paulo FC representing Brazil is undoubtedly Lucas Moura, who was hunted by a host of top clubs in the off-season, before finally joining the Paris Saint-Germain revolution for e43m.
Menezes is set to delight the local fans today by playing the 20-year-old Moura in a front three with another São Paulo native, 20-year-old Santos attacker Neymar, the superstar of Brazilian football, and 23-year-old striker Leandro Damiao.
The talent pool in Brazil is such that Hulk, hunted by Chelsea and eventually signed by Zenit St Petersburg, will start from the bench.
Menezes’s side came in for plenty of criticism after missing out on Olympic gold in London, falling to Mexico in the final. But they should still have way too much talent for Bafana, as they look to celebrate Brazilian Independence Day by taking down Gordon Igesund’s men.
It is as daunting an opening match as the new Bafana coach could wish for, though in his favour comes the benefit of low expectations.
And Igesund has refused to be cowed into a defensive mode by Brazilian artillery, promising that Bafana will give as good as they get today.
“We will take the game to them as much as they attack us,” said Igesund.
“We have weaknesses, but they do, too – they are not invincible.”
Bafana, indeed, have failed to qualify for the past two Africa Cup of Nations, and the pressure is on Igesund to build a team that can challenge for the 2013 tournament (Igesund’s mandate is to at least make the semi-finals), hosted in SA next year, and qualify for the World Cup here in Brazil in 2014.
“I said when I was first employed, I would never have taken on the job if I didn’t think it was possible,” said Igesund.
“It’s a difficult task, [but] I’m very confident. I know I’ll also have other players available that we’ve left behind here, so by the time the Afcon starts, we’ll be prepared… and I’m sure we’ll come very close to winning.
“In the World Cup we have not had the best start. We’ve drawn two games against two teams we should have beaten. If you can’t beat those teams, you don’t deserve to be in the World Cup. But I do know each training session we have we will get better and better.” – The Star