UAE football player, who received the “citizenship” of Uzbekistan, did not come to Tashkent

Tomorrow, October 15, Uzbekistan’s national football team will face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. However, UAE player Fabio de Lima, who holds Brazilian origins, will not be traveling to Tashkent due to personal reasons, as reported by the UAE Football Federation.

The 31-year-old Fabio de Lima obtained Uzbekistan citizenship in 2013 to be registered as an Asian legionnaire in the UAE Championship. However, it was later discovered that the documents he used actually belonged to another individual.

Uzbek football expert Alisher Nikimbaev weighed in on the situation, stating that there are no legal barriers preventing Lima from coming to Uzbekistan.

"They are asking whether Fabio can visit Uzbekistan. I see no legal obstacles to this. It is unlikely that a criminal case was filed against him. You also need to check the statute of limitations for such violations. This story is now 10 years old. Remember, Fabio, as a 'citizen' of Uzbekistan, never physically held or used his 'passport.' The document was forged solely for his participation in the UAE Championship. So, why is he not coming? Likely, he fears the case remains unresolved and does not want to take any risks. As for his UAE passport, everything is legal in the Emirates," Nikimbaev explained.

The Uzbekistan-UAE match will kick off at 19:00 at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent.