KARACHI: Football legends Luis Figo, Kaka, Carles Puyol and Nicolas Anelka won’t only be entertaining fans in Lahore but they will also be playing an exhibition match in Karachi during their two-day tour of the country this month, the organisers announced on Saturday.

Last week, the organisers of the World Soccer Stars event had announced that the tour, which was earlier scheduled to be held in April, was finally going on with the star quartet set to play an exhibition match in Lahore on Nov 10. Now, they’ve added another match to the itinerary with the football greats set to grace Karachi’s Rahat Stadium for a game against local side FC Karachi on Nov 9.

“The exhibition match is an effort to incorporate young talent in the World Soccer Stars tour and give them an opportunity of a lifetime playing against global football legends,” the organisers said in a news release, with the match in Lahore being the legends come up against local players “shortlisted from a talent hunt roadshow”.

Of the four legends in action, Anelka has played in Pakistan before. In July 2017, the French former Real Madrid and Chelsea striker came to Pakistan to feature in two exhibition matches in Karachi and Lahore as part of the “Ronaldinho and Friends” tour organised by Leisure Leagues.

Portugal great Figo, Brazil legend Kaka and Spanish icon Puyol, along with Anelka, have all come to Pakistan this year as part of promotions for the World Soccer Stars tour.

While the organisers claim the tour is “designed to uplift soccer in Pakistan”, they are expected to face some backlash from anticipating fans with the tickets priced at a steep Rs8,000.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2019