Caio Canedo: 'We’re chasing dreams, history ... we will give our life to reach World Cup'

Speaking to 'The National' from the UAE camp in Doha, the forward discusses Tuesday's must-win play-off against Australia and hopes of making Qatar 2022

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Caio Canedo looks down at the UAE logo on his crisp red and white, national-team issue training top, and says earnestly: “All my celebrations when I score, I'm touching my chest, I’m grabbing the flag, the country. It’s what I told you: I need to give back what they have given me, which is so much. So every time I enter the field I represent the country, I represent millions of people here.

“I have a responsibility; not only to my family, but to colours, to flag, the UAE people. I carry this with me a lot. Every single game. When I score you see high spirits, pride. Because I know I’m making a lot of people proud.”

Born in Brazil, then spending his formative years in the United States before returning to his country of birth to begin his professional football career, Canedo sits now in a hotel in Doha, not long from what he hopes will be a principal role in helping the UAE qualify for a second World Cup.

On Tuesday, the national team contest their most important match in more than two decades, an Asian play-off against Australia at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan. Win, and the UAE face Peru next week at the same venue – one of the eight that will later this year host football’s showpiece event - for a place at the World Cup.

The UAE have sampled a global finals only once before, in 1990, the year Canedo was born. The digits are inked on his right forearm.

“I told my wife maybe this is destiny,” Canedo smiles. “In 1990, the first time the UAE went through to the World Cup. I said it's destiny, it’s written, we’re going. We’re chasing it.”

Granted UAE citizenship in 2020 along with Fabio De Lima and Sebastian Tagliabue, Canedo’s connection to the Emirates is clear. It runs deep – since arriving in the country to play for Al Wasl in 2014, he has made a life first in Dubai and now in Al Ain - he currently represents the newly crowned UAE champions - with his wife and young daughter.

“For me it's an honour to defend such a big country,” Canedo says. “For everything the country did for me and my family. Since the first day I was here I felt the hug, the affection from the fans, starting back at Al Wasl.

“But not just Al Wasl fans; all the fans and the UAE people, they embraced me very well, the affection was amazing. So I'm very grateful for this opportunity to defend this country.

“When I received the message that I could possibly take the passport, I accepted it right away because I wanted to play so bad. As soon as I heard I said to my wife, ‘Where do I sign?’ And I knew we – me, Fabio and Sebastian - had quality to represent a great country and to aim for big things. Like our situation now. It’s happening.”

It happens on Tuesday night, when the UAE meet an Australia side seeking to push forward towards a fifth consecutive World Cup. Both teams arrive at this juncture having finished third in their respective groups in the final full round of qualification.

“To be honest with you, we’re the underdogs,” Canedo says. “This doesn’t mean we don't believe in ourselves - it doesn't make us less important or less deserving - it's just how people see. I know in South America they’re saying already it’s Peru against Australia. I guess many people think this. But we can face it. We’ve been underdogs before.

“We respect Australia a lot, they deserve that. But football is more equal now than ever. On Tuesday, it’s going to be 11 against 11, they’re fighting for them, we are fighting for whatever we pray for. And we hope at the end of the match to be celebrating.

“But I want to emphasise, we need to respect Australia; I respect every country we play. And Australia are surely thinking the same thing: they respect us, but inside they want to kill us on the field.

“We all know it's only one match. You have to be ready physically, mentally. Every detail counts. Same mentality we had against South Korea. Our finals started back then. And this is another final.”

Canedo describes the 1-0 victory against South Korea in the Group A finale in March as the “big turn of the key” in terms of belief. It sealed the play-off spot, arriving in manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s second match in charge.

Canedo knows the Argentine better than most having played under him at Wasl for two years from 2016. In February, Arruabarrena replaced Bert van Marwijk at the UAE - his first taste of international management.

“He’s one of the best coaches in my career, hands down,” Canedo says. “He talks our language, what I say, ‘footballing language’. He understands exactly the players, jokes with us, knows when to push or if someone needs a rest.

“He was a footballer at a very high level - he played semi-final Champions League with Villarreal, played for Boca Juniors. This guy’s a winner. He’s very open. People fight for him.

“Everyone’s bought into his ideas. He said, ‘Guys, two games. We have two games to make history. It's in your hands. You guys decide. I cannot go inside to play. I want to make history and I’ll give you the path. You just have to believe. You guys can do it’.”

Canedo says the players understand the magnitude of the moment, that while spirits within the camp in Doha are high, the team are laser-focused too. The pressure of the prize on offer is to be embraced, harnessed.

“We have to make it happen,” Canedo says. “Now we reach here and the expectation is very high, OK, let's give the answer. We will give our life here on June 7.

UAE squad arrives in Doha for World Cup play-off

“If it doesn't happen, OK, it didn’t happen. But you can be sure all the players will give their life for this.”

The UAE’s hopes have been boosted by the return of Omar Abdulrahman following a two-and-a-half-year international hiatus because of injury, even if the celebrated playmaker is still finding his way back to full fitness.

“He’s an amazing player,” Canedo says. “Also his experience, how people respect him. Just to have him there is a big win for us, as he can help the guys. A lot of people look up to him and he can give advice. And inside the field you know his quality; he can put the ball wherever he wants.”

Countering Abdulrahman’s availability, though, is the absence of De Lima. The forward suffered a season-ending injury for Wasl in January, robbing the UAE of their standout player through the conclusion of the second round last June. De Lima scored five goals in four matches to fire the UAE forward.

“He’s such a big miss,” Canedo says of his former Wasl teammate. “He’s a top-level star, can make the difference for us. I have a special love for Fabio. So I want to do it for Fabio, too, because of his amazing impact in June.”

Back in Brazil, Canedo’s family and friends have been inundating him with messages, sending their well wishes, asking how they can watch the match. As the game draws close, some have even had trouble sleeping.

He feels the support from everywhere, he says, and wants to sense that on Tuesday night in Al Rayyan, where the UAE should enjoy the majority of support from the stands. The Football Association has provided 5,000 match tickets for fans, with many more expected to make the short journey to the Qatar capital.

“We need them so bad,” Canedo says. “They’re very important for us, to receive this love, the support. Because we know exactly who we're fighting for: families, country, flag, colours, the UAE people. We’re excited.

“We’re chasing dreams, chasing history. And trying to bring some happiness for the people in the UAE, especially for the last few weeks after we lost [President Sheikh Khalifa]. I saw many people were hurting, losing such an important figure for the country, for the UAE people. It was a big, big loss for us.

“So we’re trying to bring a little joy to them. We have this opportunity in our hands - it depends on us - and that’s we're trying to do. We will do everything possible for us to reach our target - and that’s to qualify the UAE for a World Cup.”

Updated: June 06, 2022, 2:57 PM