U-17 World Cup: Former stars to play exhibition match with Indian footballers

Celebrating 30 days to go for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, world football legends will lock horns in an exhibition match against a mixed-gender former and current Indian stars' team here on Wednesday.

World Cup winner Frenchman Marcel Desailly, Colombian great Carlos Valderrama, Spain's Fernando Morientes, Mexican Jorge Campos and Nigerian Emmanuel Amuneke will be seen in action at the D.Y. Patil Stadium.

The match is expected to be of twenty minutes duration with two halves of ten minutes each.

The Indian XI will see players like former Indian men's team captain Renedy Singh and woman footballer Bembem Devi.

The current Indian women's team captain Bala Devi will also be a part of the mixed gender team.

The official song of the U-17 World Cup will be played during the half-time.

Valderrama was an iconic member of the Colombian team (1985-1998) and played in three editions of the World Cup in a decorated career.

Morientes was part of two editions of the World Cup for Spain and is remembered for his three UEFA Champions League trophies with Real Madrid.

Desailly was part of the French side that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and went on to captain 'Les Bleus' to two FIFA Confederations Cup titles in 2001 and 2003, winning numerous other trophies along the way.

The striker-turned-goalkeeper Jorge Campos revolutionised the art of goalkeeping and was Mexico's undisputed first-choice custodian in successive editions of the FIFA World Cup in 1994 and 1998.

A former Nigeria international at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and Olympic gold medallist in 1996, Amuneke started a successful coaching career that saw him leading the Golden Eaglets to glory at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015 in Chile.

The DY Patil Stadium will host eight matches in the U-17 World Cup, including one semi-final.

--IANS

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