Albirex Nakata versus S-League All Stars tonight for worthy cause

SINGAPORE - He slipped in almost unnoticed among the Albirex Niigata Singapore Selection side at the Jalan Besar Stadium pitch on Friday afternoon but it was not long before Hidetoshi Nakata's quality shone through.

The Japanese players were put through their paces in the searing heat on the artificial turf in what was their final training session ahead of Saturday's charity match against the S-League All-Stars (5pm) and former World Cup star Nakata was clearly the main attraction, even in the presence of Japanese football luminaries Masaaki Sawanobori and Masakiyo Maezono.

Pinging passes across the field, he stayed on the pitch after the training session, giving pointers to the Albirex youngsters, who stood in awe around him.

But tonight's fixture will not be about football.

As he barked instructions, or when he had to contend with crunching tackles - his focus was clearly on his quake and tsunami-devastated homeland.

"More than raising money, it is more important to get more people (behind the cause)," he said.

Albirex skipper Shimpei Sakurada, who will line up with Nakata in the middle of the park, said: "This match is a very special one, we're playing for the victims of the disaster in Japan and I'm just putting my feelings aside and my thoughts on them."

ORIGINAL SOURCE

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