ZICO, one of six Brazilians, will take the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) field, today, donning the Rupununi jersey against Pele in the remaining preliminary double-header of the Kashif & Shanghai Christmas Football Festival today.
In the second encounter, Bartica will come up against Silver Shattas of Linden from 20:00 h.
According to the Rupununi camp, the inclusion of the six Brazilians who hail from the border town Bon Fim that’s just a few kilometres from Lethem, was a move by the organisers to make the hinterland team more competitive.
However, four of the Brazilians play for the Rupununi teams, therefore, just two of the Brazilians could be considered guest players.
The Brazilians are Jose Carlos Masedo De Silva, Jesse Silva Louredo, Shyrelendo Evanglista do Nacimento, Zico Olivera De Silva, Luis Masedo De Silva, Francis Williams.
Jose Carlos, Zico Olivera and Luis Masedo represent Rupununi teams in the Rupununi Inter-district competitions because of the inter-relationship between the people of the area where they see no borders.
Williams, who is actually a Guyanese, now living in the Brazilian border town, plays for the Tabatinga of Rupununi.
Rupununi also boast the Parks brothers who served on the National youth grid - Daxton in the Under-23, Anthony in the Under-17 touring Cuba, and Peter in the Under-20.
Notably, however, they may be without their most famous star - Emerick Williams who has worn the National colours at all levels, because of work commitment.
For the past three years, the Rupununi team has been playing the prestigious Christmas extravaganza, since the Minister of Sport Gail Teixeira initiated the participation of hinterland teams. The first was Region One and the second time, Region Eight.
Director of the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation, Kashif Muhammed, told Chronicle Sport that since the Rupununi appearance three years ago, they continued to impress the organisers.
Coach Paul James said this line-up was a better one that last year, and he expected them to go further.
“Last year, Rupununi beat Berbice, then they beat themselves in the clash with Silver Shattas. They played the better football but surprisingly lost 2-1.”
The list reads: Goalkeepers Francis, Do Nascimento and Mentore
Defence Daxton Parks, Everton Phillips, Ken Willimas, Sheldon Cupidorea and Jose Carlos; mid-fieldiers Peter Parks, Jesse Silva, Zico, Luis, Anthony Park, Edgar Nicholson and Ryan Farias; strikers Trevor Joe, Sydney Francis, Ken Grant and Steve Lamazon.
Pele reached the final of the 1996 championship, only to bow out to Topp XX who won their second title in the tournament. That was the last time that Pele had been invited to the tournament.
Just two players - Omali Nassy and Norris Carter - of that line-up are in the present team. Pele though are a bit disappointed to enter in just the preliminary level. They argue that they won the Sweet Sixteen championship, the only senior football competition in the country up to August and placed third in the FL Cup, the symbol of football supremacy in the city.
The club that once ruled city football, with the likes of former National captain Terrence Archer, now has another batch of highly talented players like Greogry Richardson, the city’s top goalscorer in the FL Cup.
There are also the Mannings brothers - Konata who made the National Under-23 team after captaining the National Under-17 team and Mandela, Dirk Archer a reliable player like his father Terrence, Travis Grant, Sheik Kamal, Shawn Bishop the captain, who have all tasted international competition wearing the National colours.
The full team: Shawn Bishop (captain); goalkeepers Jomo Benfield and Shemroy Arthur, Dirk Archer, Travis Grant, Norris Carter, Gregory Richardson, Konata and Mandela Mannings, Sheik Kamal, Solomon Austin, Devon Edinboro, Omali Nassy, Levi Braitwaite, Mervin Liverpool and Troy Kellman.
This is Silver Shattas’ second year in the tournament, playing as newcomers last year. They place third, beating the Kashif & Shanghai All Stars.
Bartica enter the championship as an association team for the first time, having been represented by clubs in the past, with Wolves United being the last club team to be invited.