Caio keen to contribute to Al Ain

Matt Jones - Editor 00:04 21/08/2016
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  • Eying an advantage: Caio

    New winger Caio hopes his experience in the AFC Champions League can help Al Ain as they go in search of a second continental crown.

    The Brazilian, 22, joined the Garden City side last month from Japan’s Kashima Antlers. He played in all six continental games for the J1 League side last year, netting one assist, and claims that exposure can help Boss as they look to lift a trophy they last claimed in 2003.

    “I have played in the AFC Champions League for Kashima,” said Caio, ahead of the quarter-final opener against Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv Tashkent on Tuesday.

    “I have experience in this competition and I hope to help Al Ain a lot in this competition.”

    The first leg will be played at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and Caio believes his new team have sufficient talent to triumph in a competition which has never been claimed by any other UAE club in history – the tournament having been played in its current guise since 2002 and in total since 1967.

    “I watched their (Al Ain) games when I played in Japan so I know about them. I watched them in the Champions League, they have outstanding players like Omar (Abdulrahman) and Douglas and this is why I chose Al Ain,” said the man named Young Player of the Year in his first season in Japan’s top flight during 2014.

    Caio had lived in the Land of the Rising Sun since he was 16 and is also confident he can strike up a prosperous partnership with compatriot Douglas – who scored an incredible 18 goals in 22 games since joining Al Ain in January.

    “I talked to Douglas about the game here, how I can give my best to Al Ain, so I hope the Brazilian connection can help out the team,” added the youngster. “All the fans can be assured that I will give my all on the field to put Al Ain on the top of the league.”

    Al Ain chairman Ghanem Al Hajeri, meanwhile, is buoyant about his club’s chances of reaching the final in November.

    “We have a good chance to qualify for the final but we must take this game with Lokomotiv seriously and not make any mistakes,” he said. “We hope to make the final, this is our vision.”

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