Brazil star Cafu welcomed

The 37-year-old, who currently plays for Italian Serie A club and 2007 UEFA Champions League winners AC Milan, made this declaration during a brief media conference at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport on Friday. Cafu was in Trinidad and Tobago as part of the week-long Brazilian Football Extravaganza entitled “Portales Al Mundo — Windows To The World”, organised by the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC).

Also involved are the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Tobago House of Assembly.

During the week, the Social Esportiva Victoria (SEV) club played matches against a number of school teams in Trinidad, and in the sister isle Tobago, and were also involved in a few functions arranged by the USC. Cafu has not played for Brazil since last year’s World Cup in Germany, but he stated, “Once I have good health, I wish to play for the national team again.”

Born on June 7, 1970 in Sao Paulo, Cafu (full name Marcos Evangelista de Moraes), is a two-time FIFA World Cup winner with the “Samba Boys” and was named by Pele as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. At Sao Paulo FC, he was part of the squad that won back-to- back Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, he was named the South American Footballer of the Year. Cafu began the 1995 season with Brazil squad Juventude but finished in Spain with Real Zaragoza, winning the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup with the latter.

After a brief stint back in Brazil with Palmeiras in 1996, Cafu returned to Europe once again the next year, this time with AS Roma, and won the Scudetto in 2001.

It was during his tenure at Roma that Cafu earned the nickname Il Pendolino (“The Express Train” or “The Commuter”). Despite making the Coppa Italia final in 2003 with Roma, he moved to AC Milan after turning down a move to Japan with Yokohama F Marinos.

With the Rossoneri, he won his second career Scudetto in 2004, and played in his first UEFA Champions League final in 2005. Despite his success with Milan, he continues to hold fond memories of his Roma years, and it was for that reason that on March 4, 2007 - the day after Milan eliminated Celtic FC in the first knockout round of the 2006-07 Champions League — he candidly revealed in a UEFA.com chat that he did not want Milan to be drawn against the Giallorossi in the quarter-final round.

He got his wish, as Milan were drawn against Bayern Munich. Milan’s successful CL campaign saw Cafu finally pick up a long-awaited winners’ medal. Cafu signed a contract extension in May 2007 that will keep him with Milan until June 2008.

Cafu is the most-capped Brazilian player of all time with 156, including a record 21 World Cup finals appearances. He won two World Cups in 1994 and 2002, and is the first player to participate in four consecutive tournaments, as well as three consecutive World Cup final matches.

He earned his first cap in a friendly against Spain on September 12, 1990, and played sparingly for Brazil in the early ‘90s, making the 1994 FIFA World Cup roster as a substitute. He appeared in the final against Italy, following an injury to Jorginho in the 22nd minute.

After that, Cafu was soon a regular in the starting eleven as Brazil won the Copa America in 1997 and 1999, and reached the 1998 FIFA World Cup final.

Brazil endured a rocky qualification for the 2002 tournament, during which Cafu came under heavy criticism from coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, who stripped him of the team captaincy after he was sent off in a qualifier against Paraguay.

Shortly after that, though, Luxemburgo was out of a job, and replacement Luiz Felipe Scolari made Emerson his new choice for captain. However, Emerson missed the cut after he dislocated his shoulder in training, which allowed Cafu to regain the armband.

After Brazil defeated Germany 2-0 in the final match, he stood on the victory podium during the postmatch celebration and, as he raised the trophy, shouted to his wife, “Regina, eu te amo!” (“Regina, I love you!”). Unfortunately, Cafu and Brazil fell short of high expectations placed on the squad four years later in 2006, as the Sele??o meekly exited in the quarter-finals after a 1-0 defeat by France. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was criticised for featuring fading veterans, most notably the 36-year-old Cafu and 33-year-old Roberto Carlos, in the starting eleven in lieu of younger players. Cafu was one of only a few Brazil players who spoke to the press in the midst of a hailstorm of criticism from Brazilian fans and media alike following the team’s return home.

He nonetheless has expressed interest in participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when he will be 40 years old.

However, he has yet to be capped again since current coach Dunga took over for Parreira in July 2006.