Brazil Target Fifth Five-a-side Gold With 'Paralympic Pele'

Muhammad Rameez Published August 30, 2021 | 02:06 PM

With flicks and tricks aplenty, Brazil's five-a-side football team are bringing a touch of samba magic to the Paralympics as they target a fifth straight gold in Tokyo

Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Aug, 2021 ) :With flicks and tricks aplenty, Brazil's five-a-side football team are bringing a touch of samba magic to the Paralympics as they target a fifth straight gold in Tokyo.

The nation that gave the world the "jogo bonito" beautiful game has just as much panache in five-a-side, which is played by athletes with visual impairments.

Brazil have won gold at every Paralympics since the sport debuted in 2004, and boast arguably its greatest player in Jefinho -- known as the "Paralympic Pele".

They started their campaign in Tokyo with a 3-0 win over China on Sunday, before beating Japan 4-0 a day later.

"Football is in the blood of Brazilians -- this is a big pressure, because the Brazilian people always expect to win," captain Ricardinho told AFP.

"The Brazilian people expect results because we have the potential to be champions. If no one expected anything of us, it would be very bad.

" Paralympic five-a-side is played with teams of four visually impaired outfield players, who wear blackout eyeshades, and a fully or partially sighted goalkeeper, who cannot leave his penalty area.

The ball contains a rattle so the players can hear where it is, and teams have two fully sighted coaches who give directions from beside the goal and behind the boards that surround the pitch.

Goalkeepers also offer full-throated guidance to their outfield teammates.

Brazil's Luan says his role is about more than just keeping the ball out of the net.

"About 50 percent of the goalkeeper's job is organising the defence," he said.

"We have to do this well so that the players can feel confident about their goalkeeper."The players' close-control skills are immediately apparent, shuffling the ball from one foot to the other as they make their way around the 40-by-20-metre pitch.