Japanese football star Hidetoshi Nakata greets members of the press following a fundraising match at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, June 7. Pic: Hein Latt Aung

JAPANESE football superstar Hidetoshi Nakata thrilled Myanmar fans on June 7 as the man known as Asia’s answer to David Beckham displayed his skills at a fundraising match in Yangon.

The joy was contagious as more than 3000 fans helped create one of the most festive atmospheres Thuwunna Stadium has seen in recent years. Celebrities including Sai Sai Kham Hlaing joined admirers eager to catch a glimpse of the world-renowned midfielder, while others including performers Tun Tun and Hackett took to the pitch in the good-natured game.

Nakata played 45-minute halves for both sides, which comprised former national football players, current coach Brazilian Marcos Falopa and senior Myanmar Football Federation officials who had invited the 30-year-old to Myanmar.

“It’s a pleasure to see such an enthusiastic crowd in Myanmar. This country, with such a crowd, should be very successful in football,” Nakata said in a short press conference after the match.

Asked how Myanmar footballers rated against their Asian rivals, the former Japanese playmaker said, “In terms of skill, power and endurance, Myanmar footballers are quite good. But in the team form, they lack understanding.”

He urged players to keep practising, saying “they also need more accuracy”.
MFF technical director U Soe Myint Lwin said Myanmar could learn much from Nakata, whose probing passes and pin-up looks made him a star both on and off the pitch.

“He played a simple game, which means knowing when to pass and when to hold the ball. But Myanmar footballers always try to show off their skills. That leads to delays in decision making during a match,” U Soe Myint Lwin said.

But the afternoon was about goodwill and injecting enthusiasm into the sport in Myanmar rather than any serious critique. It was scarcely important the red team overcame the whites – helped along by a first-half goal from Nakata that delighted the crowd and put the reds on track to a 3-1 win. Both teams' shirts, after all, read “We love Nakata”.

The K1000 each spectator paid to watch the match is to be used to help the development of youth football in Myanmar – a keen interest of Falopa who has stated his determination to build Myanmar football over the long term. More than K4 million is thought to have been raised.

Nakata, who was named Asian Football of the Year in 1997 and 1998, arrived in Myanmar for a weeklong private visit on June 2 and stayed at the Olympic Hotel in Yangon.

During a high-profile career that pioneered Asian involvement in the European game, Nakata played for Italian Serie A sides Perugia, Roma, Parma, Bologna and Fiorentina, as well as of English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers before retiring in 2006.