S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 Brazilian defender Jo\u00e3o Gabriel Cardozo Santos Maklouf, 19, could represent Lebanon in friendly matches on Thursday (1) and Sunday (4). Currently a member of Italian club Como 1907\u2019s under-20 squad, Jo\u00e3o Gabriel has Lebanese and Italian ancestry. In Brazil, he played in Corinthians\u2019 youth academy from 2021 to 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his Instagram profile, Jo\u00e3o Gabriel said he was happy to play for a professional team and, especially, to represent a country with which he has family ties. Jo\u00e3o Gabriel\u2019s mother is of Italian descent, while his father is of Lebanese descent. He was born in Brazil and holds all three nationalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After leaving Corinthians, Jo\u00e3o Gabriel played for Roma in Italy before joining Como 1907. This is his first call-up to Lebanon\u2019s senior national team. According to the Lebanese Football Association<\/a>, the match against the Maldives will be played on Thursday, followed by a game against Kyrgyzstan on Sunday. Last Sunday (27), the Lebanese team beat Al Sadd in Qatar in a warm-up match ahead of the friendlies. Jo\u00e3o Gabriel played the first half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more<\/em>: Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\n
Brazilian football club hires coach from Bahrain<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n