Fabio De Lima wants to do 'something special' for UAE at Asian Cup

With debut made, finally, in a major international tournament, Fabio De Lima is determined to give back to the country that afforded him the opportunity.

The UAE forward, born in Brazil but naturalised in 2020, has become a standout performer in Emirati football since arriving at Al Wasl in 2014. With the Dubai club, De Lima has scored close to 200 goals, his 156 in the UAE top-flight lifting him to fourth in the competition’s all-time list.

Having first represented the national team in October 2020, De Lima is now an integral part of that side, too. On Sunday, he helped the UAE to a 3-1 win in their 2023 Asian Cup opener against Hong Kong in Qatar, providing the national team, semi-finalists in the past two editions, a strong start to what they hope will be another positive campaign.

Speaking afterwards, as his tournament bow began to sink in, De Lima’s delight was obvious.

“For me, I’m very happy to represent the national team,” he told The National. “I’m a long time in the country, and this for me is amazing. For myself, for my career. I give my best always for the country and for the national team.

“And, especially, we want to do something special for the fans, for the people born in the country, for the people living in the country. So we’re focused on that.”

Back in Brazil, De Lima’s mother and brothers watched Group C’s opening fixture on television, no doubt glued to his performance as they always are, irrespective of the seven-hour time difference.

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De Lima, who struck the crossbar deep into the first half at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, was thousands of kilometres away, intent simply on ensuring his side kicked off the tournament with three points. Mission