Eindhoven to visit Surabaya, Manado

Eindhoven to visit Surabaya, Manado

JAKARTA (JP): Dutch first division runner-up PSV Eindhoven
will appear in a friendly against Mitra Surabaya in the Gelora 10
November stadium in Surabaya.

Three days after Epiphany day, on Jan. 9, the club, which
dethroned Dutch league champion Ajax in 1992, will go to Manado,
North Sulawesi, to engage in another friendly against the city's
club, Persma Manado.

Eindhoven's technical manager, Frank Arnesen, was quoted by
Antara as saying in Surabaya yesterday that Eindhoven will field
its full team of twenty players, plus coach Dick Advocaat.

The twenty will include the club's Brazilian top scorer
Ronaldo and Belgian player Luc Nilis. The rest are Arthur Numan,
Rene Eykelkamp, Wim Jonk, Jan Wouters, Philips Cocu, Bjorn van
der Doelen, Ernest Faber, Peter Hoekstra, Tom van der Leegte,
Edward Linskens, Stanley Menzo, Boudewijn Pahlplatzt, Geoffrey
Prommayon, Stan Valckx, Marciono Vink, Ronald Waterreus, Chris
van der Weerden and Boudewijn Zenden.

The friendlies are being sponsored by Philips Indonesia. The
Netherlands-based electronics giant, which owns the club,
obtained permission for the friendlies from the Royal Dutch
Football Bond on Nov. 29 but is waiting for formal approval from
the All-Indonesia Soccer Federation.

The two Indonesian teams were the only Indonesia League soccer
teams available on both dates. The top Dutch club will come
during its winter break, Philips Indonesia said.

Aqil Ali, chairman of Mitra Surabaya, suggested that Mitra
make the most of the friendly.

"That Mitra is given a chance to play Eindhoven is like
receiving gold from the sky. This is a rare opportunity indeed,"
said Ali, who is also the manager of Persebaya, another Surabaya
team. Whether we can handle the Dutch remains to be seen, he
added.(arf)