¡¡¡¡TOKYO, July 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese sports minister Atsuko Toyama on Friday welcomed the news that former Brazilian international Zico has accepted an offer for him to become the new coach of Japan's national soccer team, according a Kyodo report.

¡¡¡¡"If all goes well, I expect the country's soccer prospects to brighten," Toyama, head of the Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology Ministry, told a news conference.

¡¡¡¡Zico played for Brazil in the 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cups and was also Brazil's technical coordinator in the previous World Cup in France in 1998.

¡¡¡¡Zico will take over as Japan coach from Frenchman Philippe Troussier, who led Japan for the first time to the second round ofthe World Cup finals that ended Sunday. Enditem