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)