Ronaldinho & Co to arrive in early July

KARACHI: Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho and a galaxy of former super stars will arrive in Pakistan in the first week of July to play a couple of exhibition matches in Karachi and Lahore.

Although the exact date of arrival of the players has been kept secret for security reasons, Director General ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted on Monday, “we welcome Ronaldinho and his team to Pakistan July 6-8 in coordination with Leisure Leagues Pakistan.”

Sources said that the players would play the first exhibition game against the best crop of Pakistan Leisure Leagues here at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium, previously called Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP), on July 8.  On July 9 they will play another match at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore.

Ronaldinho will be accompanied by former Chelsea and England skipper John Terry, 2002 Brazil’s World Cup winning squad member Roberto Carlos, former French midfielder Robert Pires, France’s Nicolas Anelka, Portugal’s Luis Boa Morte, Holland’s George Boateng and England’s David James.

Meanwhile, Nokia joined Trunkwala World Group as lead sponsors of these matches, it was announced at a function here on Monday.