Dhaka loves a bit of football glamour, and the city looks ready to roll out the red carpet. Brazil’s São Bernardo landed on Tuesday, Argentina’s Atlético Charlone followed on Wednesday, and the Latin-Bangla Super Cup kicks off on Friday night at the national stadium. The football might draw the crowds, but the real buzz hangs around one name, that is Cafu.
The organisers insist the Brazilian legend is on his way. They want to light up the final day with a proper showpiece, and they’ve pushed the boat out with a gala dinner priced at a jaw-dropping Tk 50,000 per seat. It’s a figure that will make plenty of fans blink, but the organisers believe the experience sells itself.
They plan to host the dinner on the night of 11 December, with Cafu expected to meet fans, take photos and soak in the madness of a country that worships Brazilian football. If Claudio Caniggia also makes the trip, he will join the same event without raising the ticket price. It all sounds grand, but nobody in this city trusts a superstar’s flight until he steps off it.
The football itself brings its own charm. Red Green Future Star, a team built from local and expatriate Bangladeshis, jumps into the ring with the South American clubs. They face Sao Bernardo on Friday, Atletico Charlone Club on 8 December, and watch the two giants face each other on the final night. The organisers even hinted that Cafu or Caniggia might play a few minutes, but nobody dares believe it until they see boots on grass.
Argentina’s players have already embraced the city, smiling through the cameras and thanking Bangladesh for the welcome. They heard about the country’s obsession long before they boarded the plane, and now they get to feel it up close.
But the headline still writes itself. Dhaka will watch a South American showdown, but the biggest scramble in town might be for a chair next to Cafu and it comes with a fifty-grand price tag.
