Casemiro set to captain Brazil in first game under new coach

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Casemiro set to captain Brazil in first game under new coach

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is set to captain Brazil for the Selecao’s first game under interim head coach Ramon Menezes.

It is not the first time Casemiro will have captained his country, having done so 10 times for previous boss Tite over the last few years. But it is a significant step to be handed the armband for the first game of a new era – even a temporary one.

Casemiro will lead Brazil out against World Cup semi-finalists Morocco at the Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier on Saturday evening. The original report confirming the news from Brazilian outlet Globoesporte described the 31-year-old as a ‘leader and reference’ for younger players.

After Brazil exited the World Cup on penalties at the quarter-final stage, prompting Tite to call time on his six years in charge, Menezes has only selected 10 of the 26 players who went to Qatar.

The squad has an experimental flavour to it, featuring a number of Brazil-based players and 10 uncapped newcomers – many of whom are under the age of 22. Neymar likely would have been involved but for injury, while Marquinhos and Richarlison both had to withdraw.