The last time Luis Fabiano was in South Africa was in June last year, when he was a member of the Brazilian squad at the Confederations Cup.
Before the start of that competition, Fabiano, who plays his club football for Sevilla in the Spanish La Liga, said that he wanted to score at a rate of a goal a game.
Going into the final, he had scored three in four matches and with the U.S. leading 2-0 against the Selecao at half-time, it was clear that something special had to be produced to come back into the game.
And it was Fabiano who did just that, scoring the two goals that equalized matters before a late Lucio header gave the South Americans victory.
The two goals in the final took the striker’s tally for the tournament to five and also ensured him the Confederation Cup’s Golden Boot.
Since then, he had found scoring much harder and going into Brazil’s Group G match against the Ivory Coast at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Sunday, Fabiano had not scored for nine games, his last international goal coming against Argentina in a World Cup qualifier in September.
On Sunday night he obviously found the scorer boots that he had left behind the last time when he was in South Africa as he gave the Selecao the lead in the 25th minute after being sent through by Kaka.
On 50 minutes he doubled his and Brazil’s score with an individualistic goal. Elano added a third in the 62nd minute before Didier Drogba found a late consolation goal for the Africans to make the final score 3-1.
Fabiano’s strike rate in the national team is quiet remarkable, and although he played his first game for the Selecao in 2003, he had a three-year absence from the team between 2004 and 2007.
He now has 41 caps to his credit and has scored 28 goals in those matches. He started playing at local side Ponte Preta as a teenager, before moving to Stade Rennes, where he endured a disappointing spell.
He then returned to Brazil and signed for Sao Paulo. In 2004 he moved to Porto, but again failed to live up to expectations and was transferred to Sevilla after just one season in Portugal.
Playing in the La Liga he finally blossomed as a player and has a contract with Sevilla until 2011.
After impressing in Spain, he was recalled into the national squad again and he has been a fairly regular starter since 2008.
Before the start of the Confederations Cup last year Fabiano said that he was hoping to return to South Africa a year later for the World Cup.
“I have a dream and that dream is to be a part of the World Cup squad next year in South Africa.” Brazilian coach Dunga will be happy that Fabiano’s dream became reality.
