Rio de Janeiro, Oct 16 : Brazil World Cup-winning captain Cafu has said that Brazil has the quality and depth of talent to win this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The former Roma and AC Milan right-back said the five-time World Cup champions would not depend so heavily on talismanic forward Neymar as they did in previous major tournaments.
“I’m very excited and confident that the Brazil team will achieve great results at this World Cup,” Cafu told reporters during an event in Porto Alegre to promote his new biography, reports Xinhua.
“Brazil today is much more prepared and experienced. The team does not depend exclusively on a single player. Instead we have a group that makes him (Neymar) stand out. We have had very positive results and built up confidence, which is of utmost importance. I think Brazil has a great chance of winning.”
The Selecao has been drawn in Group G — alongside Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon — for football’s showpiece event to be played from November 20 to December 18.
Tite’s men secured a berth in the competition by finishing top of the South American qualifying group, six points ahead of second-placed Argentina.
One of the concerns raised by local pundits is the team’s lack of options at right-back. But Cafu, who filled the role with distinction at four World Cups, said Brazil had many options, including 39-year-old Pumas UNAM player Dani Alves.
“I don’t see a problem on the right side,” said Cafu, who led Brazil to World Cup glory in Japan and South Korea in 2002. “We have (Eder) Militao who can adapt well either to a central or wide position with the capacity to support the defence and attack at the same time.
“Tite is intelligent and knows very well how to use what he has at his disposal. We have been lucky to have had so many great full-backs in the past and now there aren’t so many. But I’m sure that whoever is chosen by Tite will do a good job.”
