Seconds before referee Alester Ciaulli da Costa whistles the start of the match, the 11 players in white shirts kneel and raise their hands in the air in prayer. Standing, opponents just watch.
Ninety minutes later, the “Our Father” is shouted in unison in the locker room. The same for the war song that ends by stating that, “if Jesus is my friend, no one will be against me.”
Canaã Esporte Clube matches are not like the others. Swearing is rare in the stands. Inside the field, at least on one side, they don’t exist. The boys on the team from Irecê, in the interior of Bahia, are forbidden to say them. Disrespecting the rule can lead to expulsion, say members of the coaching staff.
No athlete can dye their hair, have cuts considered different, wear earrings or wear a cap. Some carry a Bible when leaving the locker room.
“The club helps me not only to be better at football but to improve as a person. It reinforces my faith in God”, says striker Vinicius.
During the first half of the confrontation with Real Brasília, on Thursday (13), at the stadium on Rua Comendador Sousa, for the Copa São Paulo, he hit the post twice. In the second, he seemed unhappy. Instead of cursing, he muttered to himself, “By Jesus!”
Team linked to the Universal Church, Canaã won 2-1 and ranked among the 32 best in Copinha. Vinicius, a striker who gives a lot of work to the opposing defense, scored one of the goals.
This Saturday (15), at 11 am, the rival will be Juventus, on Rua Javari, for a place in the round of 16. They have already faced each other in the group stage, and the paulistanos won 3-1.
How close Canaan is to Universal is a matter of debate. The official version is that there is no membership or agreement between the church and the club. Of the audience present at the Nacional stadium (the number was not disclosed), the overwhelming majority were fans of the Bahia club. Three of them told leaf be part of the church’s youth movement. They were invited by pastors to go to the departure.
“This victory is for you”, pointed the coach Edu Miranda to the stands, after the final whistle. He has been in Canaã for about a month and had stints in Corinthians, Portuguesa, Guarani and Flamengo de Guarulhos.
“I knew the team by name because their players were taken to Guarulhos when I was there. The team is an arm of Universal, and the structure is fantastic. It’s above average”, says the coach.
Canaan leader, who asked not to be identified, contests and claims there is no formal connection. The president is Sergio Correa, and the football director is Mauricio Amaral. Both are bishops of the church.
The association is part of a social project that offers education and social assistance to about 600 children in Irecê.
In the Bible, Canaan is the promised land found by the people of Israel after crossing the desert for 40 years. The chants of the crowd at Copinha all the time mention that the team is the “strongest in the hinterland.”
According to players and members of the coaching staff, everyone is invited to attend evangelical services, but they are not obliged to do so. There is a requirement to be a Christian. In the training center, built on BA-052, Estrada do Feijão, the boys have school, five meals under the supervision of nutritionists, five training camps available and a physiotherapy department.
The TV sets are turned off at 10:30 pm, when everyone must go to their rooms.
“It’s old-fashioned football. Everyone is very disciplined. And if they let us, we’ll go all the way to the end of the Cup”, adds Miranda.
That’s what Romilda Costa expects. She left Bahia to spend the month of January at Sister Jurania’s house in São Paulo. It wasn’t just about the holidays. The main objective is to follow Canaã in Copinha. The two are aunts of defender Paulo Vinicius, 20. Like the boys on the field, they close their eyes and pray before the start of the match.
“Being here is better than seeing the Brazilian team”, compares Romilda, who also feeds the family’s WhatsApp group with news about the performance of her nephew, a calm defender with the ball at his feet who won almost every dispute against Real. Brasilia.
In the formation of players, Canaã, created in 2018, acts like any other club. He works with businessmen and seeks revelations, preferably from the region, that can be polished and then sold for profit. But there is also social work. The biggest hope in this year’s Copinha is forward Felipe Gabriel, 15. He did not play in the fifth because he was suspended.
Two boys revealed by the team, João Victor and Clayton, both 18 years old, were loaned to Flamengo. Clayton was bought outright. Canaã also has João, 16, at Atlético Mineiro. These are stories that fill those who are in the 2022 Cup with hope.
“We see that we can grow. We see how to pursue dreams with football”, says Paulo Vinicius.
Officials heard by the report said that the money obtained from the sale of athletes is reinvested in the project that also maintains the basic categories.
Leveling up helps even more to bring visibility to the players and the team. Everyone realizes this because the party with the rating resembles that of a title. They sing that the “underdog has arrived” and even get together to do choreographed dances. But as soon as they are finished, they kneel, point to the sky and pray.
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