As the Fédération Internationale de Football Association and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed a memorandum of understanding on football collaboration, the 10 leaders received special jerseys from the football body, Phil Star reported.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi signed the deal to promote football in the region. The ten ASEAN leaders witnessed the signing of the MOU at Impact Exhibition and Convention Center in Nonthaburi, Thailand last Saturday.
While nine leaders in the ten-member Asean received blue jerseys with the number nine or ten, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was wearing a number 21 jersey as they posed for group photos together with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at Bangkok's Impact Exhibition and Convention Center.
Presidential press bureau head Erlin Suastini said number nine jerseys were given to heads of government and number ten to heads of state.
"President Joko Widodo was given number 21 because Indonesia has been officially announced as the host of the 2021 Under-20 World Cup," she said in a statement, as quoted by Jakarta Globe.
Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi stated to Tempo, FIFA MOU with ASEAN covered collaboration on areas with a strong focus on "promotion of sport integrity, yang kedua adalah sport for development, FIFA football for school programme, and professional capacity building.”
