I had never met Caio in my life…and George Weah humbly asked for a picture with me

The UAE national team player and former Al Ain star, Salem Johar, considered that his talk about the current Al Wahda club and national team player, Caio Canedo, came within the framework of technical evaluation only, away from any personal considerations, in response to the recently raised statements exchanged between the two parties, stressing that technical criticism is a legitimate right that is in the interest of Emirati football and developing the level of the national team.

The dispute broke out between the two parties after Salem Johar expressed his astonishment at Caio’s participation with the national team, in the recent period, during his appearance as a sports analyst on the program “Sports Sports” on Ajman Channel, saying: “I do not know the reason why Caio Canedo plays in the best clubs in the Emirates and is included in the national team!” He added: “I am over 50 years old, and I am currently 54 years old, and if I train for a month I will become better than Caio.” In return, he responded. Caio made a long statement on his Instagram account, the most prominent of which was: “You attack me on television for no reason, even though I did nothing to you, but when you meet me in person you ask for a picture with me!”

Johar told Emirates Today: “Before naturalization, Caio was recruited as a professional player, and the professional player in the past used to come to help the team and teach the amateur players, and we were amateurs.” He added that when he talked about Caio, the goal was not to belittle the player, but rather to present an objective artistic vision based on what he presented on the field, whether with clubs or at the national team level.

He continued: “The greatest African striker in history and former Al Jazira player, the Liberian player George Weah, humbly asked me one day to take a picture with me. I also took pictures with the Italian star Alessandro Del Piero, and I played with Hossam Hassan, Abedi Pele, and many world stars. We exchanged pictures and gifts humbly, without any boasting, because the most important thing is that we learned from them.”

He continued: “I never met Caio on any day, nor did I ever ask to take a picture with him, nor did I have any personal relationship with him in the first place. If he said that, can he prove that I asked him for a picture?”

Johar stressed that his criticism of the player was purely technical, saying: “When I spoke about Caio, the criticism was related to the technical aspect only, and there is no personal problem. Yes, Caio scored many goals with Al Wasl and Al Ain, and this is something no one disputes, but these clubs include a large group of stars capable of creating opportunities and carrying any player.”

Johar wondered about the player’s performance in his last stops, adding: “When Caio returned to Al Wasl, why did he not achieve anything, then he left the club, and before that he left Al Ain? More importantly, what has he given to the UAE national team since he was naturalized? We accepted criticism with open arms when we were playing.”

The former national team star touched on a comparison between his generation and the current generation, stressing that the opportunities available at the present time are greater than they were in the past. He said: “When we played in the national team, there were a large number of stars such as Abdul Razzaq Ibrahim, Nasser Khamis and others, and we did not get the same opportunities currently available, and we did not graduate into all the Sunni teams, and we only participated in the under-23 team, and then the first team in some periods.”

Salem Johar concluded his statements by saying: “A number of players who were naturalized received real and full opportunities. The important question is: What did this generation offer, especially the first players who received this opportunity, and did they actually succeed in adding real value to the national team? In the end, what is most important for us is success for the UAE national team and raising the country’s flag high in various forums.”

I took pictures with Del Piero, played with Hossam Hassan and Abedi Pele, and I did not ask to take a picture with Caio.

Salem Johar:

. I took pictures with Del Piero and played with Hossam Hassan and Abidi Pele, and we humbly exchanged pictures and gifts.