The 43-year-old soccer great was on his feet for the first time after being hospitalized 11 days ago.

Doctors said he stood up twice and took steps around his room in the Suizo-Argentina clinic, according to a daily update from his medical team. He will remain in intensive care the extra days "only to help speed up his recovery."

He is tolerating a special liquid diet and is breathing unaided after a respirator was removed last weekend.

The improving football legend has also been joking with doctors about bringing him a ball so he can prove he is recovering, local press reports said on Thursday.

Maradona, who has been in intensive care and close to death suffering from heart and lung problems for 12 days, said to medical staff in the Swiss-Argentina Clinic: "Bring me a ball so that I can show them I'm well."

The decision to maintain him in intensive cares appeared to be to prevent an avalanche of visits that could harm his recovery, and to prevent a reported episode that one of the clinic's employees tried to take photographs of him in his bed to sell to the press.

The last medical report on Wednesday said his condition was stable with progressive improvement of the cardio-pulmonary system and that he no longer had a fever and the only medication he was taking were antibiotics.

According to physiotherapists, the 1986 World Cup winning captain was reacting very well to exercises improving the ventilation of his lungs.

Maradona's two teenage daughters, Dalma, 17 and Giannina, 14, asked fans to suspend last Saturday's proposed demonstration outside the hospital, thanking them for their concern, but saying both Maradona and other patients needed quiet for their recovery.

Doctors have declined to say whether the former player's current state is related to drug addiction, which he has fought for more than a decade.