Marcos Evangelista de Moraes – or Cafu as he is known by all in the football world - has won absolutely everything in a stellar player career.
He is Brazil’s most-capped player ever with 143 international appearances, has won the FIFA World Cup™ not once but twice, the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan, as well as the Italian Scudetto league title with Milan and AS Roma.
And after a highly decorated career he is continuing to use the power of football to reap even greater personal rewards.
One of six children born in Villa Irene - one of the poorest districts in Sao Paulo - the Brazilian legend established the Cafu Foundation after retiring from the game, raising funds to support education and sport programmes in the favelas of Brazil.
And Cafu was in Johannesburg today to meet South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Chief Executive, Dr Danny Jordaan, to discuss ways of supporting similar fundraising projects to help needy kids in South Africa
“South Africa and Brazil are very similar. We have the same social problems, same issues and same growing economies. And I am here in South Africa to avail myself to do whatever I can to assist South Africa’s World Cup efforts and to help to leave a legacy after the World Cup. I believe this World Cup is very special and that it will be the most successful in history. And I would like to assist in whatever way I can,” Cafu said after the meeting at Jordaan’s SAFA House office.
Cafu intends to canvass for financial support and establish a ‘We love Africa’ project in his name to support South African social projects and his first port of call was Jordaan’s office to brief him of his intentions.
Jordaan said many promising young South African footballers fell by the wayside, due to the vagaries of drug abuse and gangsterism, with Cafu saying this was also the case in Brazil and one of the main reasons he established his foundation.
“We’ve always said this World Cup is about more than 90 minutes of football. It must leave a social legacy. Like Brazil, we’re a developing country and the sport of the poor is football. I am delighted that a player like Cafu, one of the greatest players in world football and a wonderful role model, has come to talk about the social legacy of the World Cup and to lend his support in this area. We will definitely support his efforts and continue to engage with him on this matter,” said Jordaan, who added that Cafu would be attending the Final Draw of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Cape Town on 4 December 2009.
While his first visit to South Africa is a short one, Cafu has been caught up in World Cup fever.
“I’ve played in many stadiums in the world and won many trophies. And the facilities here are very impressive, the stadiums, airports and hotels are among the best in the world. But I’ve been most impressed by the country’s people. Brazilian people and South African people are very similar in all respects. They are very warm and friendly. You feel the warmth of the people on the streets and see how much they want to host this World Cup. What I’ve seen here is amazing,” said Cafu.
While he thought the outside of the Soccer City stadium – that will host the opening match and final – was “unbelievable” with its distinctive calabash outer shell, Cafu was blown away when he got to see the inside of the 89 000-seater stadium.
“As a player seeing this magnificent stadium is very emotional,” Cafu said as he looked on to the pitch where Africa’s first World Cup will kick off 11 June 2010, adding “it gives me goose bumps”.