From captaining Neymar to targeting ‘biggest honour’, Dudu is the latest naturalised star set for Hong Kong call-up
- Brazil-born Dudu first arrived in Hong Kong to play for Tai Po in summer of 2016
- The 33-year-old had spells with R&F, Eastern, and Southern, and is now chasing title glory with Lee Man
Nearly eight years after moving to the city on a whim, Lee Man defender Dudu is targeting a Hong Kong call up that would be “the biggest honour of my career”.
Dudu counted global icon Neymar among his teammates, as an emerging player at Santos, but the 33-year-old, who received his Hong Kong passport this month, recognised making the grade in his home country was “as hard as getting into Harvard, because so many people are fighting for that spot”.
A transfer to Tai Po from Sao Paulo club Penapolense, in summer 2016, nevertheless owed everything to chance. Dudu was “screaming about wanting to go overseas”, when a teammate whose move to the local Premier League club was scuppered by injury, offered the centre-back the opportunity to go instead.
“I did not think twice. I looked on the map, and thought, ‘It looks nice, let’s go’,” Dudu said.
Dudu completed seven years’ residency midway through 2023, and was desperately hoping for a passport in time for this year’s Asian Cup finals.
“The coach was always asking me about my situation,” Dudu said. “It was frustrating, but, some things you cannot control. You cannot stress too much.
