International stars visiting Indonesia for Asian Cup

Former international football stars will visit Indonesia to promote the forthcoming 2007 AFC Asian Cup group round and quarter final in Jakarta and Palembang and Cup Final in Jakarta. Football Association of Indonesia General Secretary Nugraha Besoes told the PSSI website that the visits will "increase football lover’s spirit especially to our national team that will fight in Asian Cup” and National Team Committee administrator Demis Djamoeddin also promised they would "increase the 2007 Asian Cup spirit.”

Argentine football hero Diego Maradona will be in Jakarta on 26-28 May as part of a South East Asian tour sponsored by Elemco Overseas Corp. The 47-year-old, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title in Mexico, is now actively promoting his own brand of football called Showbol, a mix between futsal and soccer, played seven-a-side over two 25-minute periods on a 22m by 42m artificial pitch surrounded by an acrylic wall.

French football star Zinedine Zidane will visit between 6-9 June. He recently praised Asian players like Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura, with Scottish league-leaders Celtic, for "bringing something positive to Asian football." In February Zidane participated in a chairty game in northern Thailand which raised Bt260,000 (US$7,750) for the Keuydaroon charity for children with HIV/AIDS.

South Korea and Manchester United star Park Ji Sung will visit in 6-8 June.