PSSI denies treating Yemeni team badly<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The All Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI)
\nsaid yesterday that it had not treated the visiting Yemeni team
\nbadly, despite a complaint by a Yemeni soccer official.<\/p>\n
PSSI spokesman Tondo Widodo told The Jakarta Post, \"It's not
\ntrue that we treated the Yemeni team badly when it arrived at the
\nSoekarno-Hatta airport or that we are accommodating the team at
\nan unrated hotel.\"<\/p>\n
Yemen Sports Federation chairman Ali Ahmed Al Ashwal
\ncomplained Thursday that the team had received a cold reception
\nand poor accommodation. \"We were not greeted by the host (PSSI)
\nand we have been given bad accommodation at an unrated hotel.\"<\/p>\n
Ali said the PSSI had left the team to fend for itself at the
\nhotel.<\/p>\n
On the cold reception, Tondo said that three officials from
\nthe federation met the team at the airport and took them by bus
\nto the hotel.<\/p>\n
\"Our officials did not neglect them, instead they assisted
\nthem all the way to the hotel. But it seemed they were at ease
\nwith the arrangements by their ambassador who was at the airport
\nto greet them,\" Tondo said.<\/p>\n
On the unrated hotel, Tondo said the PSSI had offered to
\naccommodate the team at the star-rated Hotel Indonesia, but the
\nYemeni team had preferred Hotel Nirwana.<\/p>\n
\"They chose Hotel Nirwana, not us. As a host, we certainly
\nwant our guests to stay in a suitable place and not in an unrated
\nhotel,\" Tondo said.<\/p>\n
On Ali's statement that the team's treatment violated FIFA
\nrules, Tondo said that the PSSI had not broken any rules.<\/p>\n
\"The regulations say that hosts must only provide
\ntransportation while accommodation must be borne by guests. I
\ndon't see how we have deviated from the FIFA regulation,\" Tondo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The Yemeni team is here for a World Cup Asian zone group five
\nmatch to be played tomorrow at the Senayan stadium.<\/p>\n
The 20-man Yemeni team was selected two months ago. The
\nplayers are mostly around 23 years old, and they are accompanied
\nby 10 officials.<\/p>\n
After the match against Indonesia tomorrow, the team will fly
\nto Phnom Penh to play Cambodia on April 20 in the first meeting
\nbetween the two teams in this qualifying round.<\/p>\n
Cambodia will host Indonesia on April 27 in their second
\nmeeting. Indonesia blanked Cambodia 8-0 in their first meeting on
\nApril 6 in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will host another World Cup qualifier when it meets
\nUzbekistan on June 1. The match is scheduled to be held in
\nSurabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
The federation has yet to confirm the venue of the Indonesia-
\nUzbekistan match.<\/p>\n
ANteve will broadcast live the Indonesia-Yemen match at the
\nSenayan stadium tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Tickets cost between Rp 7,500 and Rp 30,000.<\/p>\n
Practice<\/p>\n
The Yemeni team trained at the Kuningan stadium yesterday and
\nwill try out the Senayan stadium today as a warm up to tomorrow's
\nmatch.<\/p>\n
Hazim Jassim of Iraq, the Yemeni team coach, told Antara
\nyesterday that Indonesia's strength would be the same as it was
\nwhen it played Yemen at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates
\nand at the King's Cup in Thailand. At the King's Cup, Indonesia
\ndefeated Yemen 2-0.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to make any predictions now on whether we can
\nbeat Indonesia but I just want to say that we have a special
\nstrategy for facing Indonesia. Your team cannot be taken
\nlightly,\" Hazim said.<\/p>\n
Before arriving in Indonesia, the Yemeni team had played two
\ntrial matches in Saudi Arabia. The team lost to the Al Ittihad
\nteam 2-3 and to Al Ahli 0-1. (lnt)<\/p>",
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