São Paulo – Isabelle Maria Justino de Souza is only 23 years old but already has many achievements to celebrate in her career. For the first time defending a team outside Brazil, the athlete made history as a winger for Al-Tadhamon. With her, the Kuwaiti futsal team reached an unprecedented National League final. Pictured above, Souza playing for Al-Tadhamon.
In addition to helping the runner-up campaign in the championship, Souza established herself as the top scorer with 14 goals. The invitation to play for the Arab team came via an Instagram message, where a committee member proposed for the Brazilian to play for four months.
The invitation arrived in October 2022, and a month later, Souza moved to Kuwait. Due to the lack of time, she could not adequately learn the new language. “I knew very basic English, so at the beginning, I did a lot of miming and used Google Translate to speak to the players and the coach. As time went by, I learned to communicate better, even learned some words in Arabic and taught them some in Portuguese.”
Upon arriving in the Arab country, the athlete trained for a whole week and was already competing in the National League the following week of November. Matches took place on Saturdays. The Brazilian recalls she was quite surprised by the playing style of her Kuwaiti teammates.
“For them, sport is like a hobby; for me, it is my life. Players usually work during the day and train at night. Training to compete in the League takes place just a few days before the start. There are practically not many game tactics there, whereas, for us, football has more play, more spirit, and the desire to take the ball. And it’s quite common for athletes to change teams, even mid-season. Besides me, the only other foreigner was a Ukrainian, who had been living in the country for a few years.”
Local culture and cuisine were also a surprise for her. Before arriving in Kuwait, Souza imagined the athletes would be distant; however, she was very well received. “Every day, a player said she would stay with me to keep me company and show me the city. I felt very at home on the team. The locals are very welcoming and affectionate,” said the Brazilian.
During the four months she lived in Kuwait, the routine was the same: going to the gym in the morning, hanging out with friends in the afternoon, and training at night. In restaurants, sometimes she doubted whether she could eat what was presented. “The food is very different here in Brazil; it is more spicy than I’m used to. The taste of rice and beans, for instance, was much different. As I lived in a hotel, I ended up eating a lot of the local bread.”
The international experience ended in February this year, but the learning continues to be fruitful. Back at Barateiro Havan Futsal, a club based in Brusque, Santa Catarina, Souza said she felt fulfilled with the unprecedented campaign and today sees herself as a more all-rounded player who dribbles more.
Passion for football
Playing as a professional for over five years, Souza said she loved football since she was little. “I inherited my father’s passion for football. He was always a good player, but his parents never supported him to become a professional. When I started to become interested in the sport, my father supported me and helped me become a professional.”
Born in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Souza was raised on Manibu beach in the city of Icapuí, Ceará. At age seven, she played in the sand with her two brothers. At the age of 10, she started competing in school championships.
Shortly before turning 18, she took a test and was accepted into Leoas da Serra, a club based in the municipality of Lages, Santa Catarina. Away from her family, she remained with the Brazilian team for two years, where she helped them win the Libertadores da América titles in 2018, in addition to the Club World Cup and Brazilian Cup in 2019. In 2018, she also played for the Brazilian Under-20 national team and won the South American Championship.
From 2021 to 2022, the player defended the colors of Barateiro Havan Futsal/Brusque, and from November 12 to February 12, she played for the Arab team. In February 2023, she returned to play for Barateiro.
Special report by Rebecca Vettore for ANBA.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
