KUWAIT: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Brazil given a rousing reception when they arrived in Kuwait for a friendly match, Pele is a special guest at the match and speaks about how emotional he was to meet people against who he played 30 years ago

Brazil were given a rousing reception when they arrived in Kuwait in the early hours of Friday (October 6) for a friendly match. Hundreds of people waited to greet the team at the airport, which was decorated with murals depicting great Brazilian players and teams of the past. The Brazilian football federeation CBF said that the Kuwaiti Army sealed off the hotel where Ronaldinho, Kaka and the rest of the team now coached by Dunda are staying, allowing only guests within a 200-metre radius. Coach Dunga and the Brazilian-based players travelled on a commercial flight from Sao Paulo to Frankfurt, where they joined the European-based players. The squad then travelled to Kuwait on a charter flight. Brazilian legend Pele is a special guest for the match and spoke about how emotional he was to meet people against who he played 30 years ago. "To arrive here today after such a long time and see some children like these of only eight or nine ears and meet the goalkeeper who played against me 30 years ago -- this is the most beautiful, emotional and important thing in the world for me." Pele backed Brazil's new coach Dunga to succeed in his job despite his inexperience in the role. He felt last month's 3-0 friendly win over arch-rivals Argentina gave Brazilian fans a boost following their quarter-final exit at the World Cup. Brazil are unbeaten in three games under former captain Dunga, who replaced Carlos Alberto Parreira following their disappointing World Cup performance when they were knocked out in the quarter-finals. Dunga, who captained Brazil at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, was named as a surprise replacement in July even though he had no previous coaching experience. He has already started a re-building job and has made top players such as Kaka start on the substitutes' bench. Brazil beat the United Arab Emirates 8-0 on their previous visit to the region last year. They also play Ecuador in a friendly in Stockholm on Oct. 10. Dunga has placed a big emphasis on team spirit and commitment, something many feel was missing from Brazil's World Cup squad.

ITN Source | October 8, 2006

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