26 footballers named for Chiang Mai SEA Games
26 footballers named for Chiang Mai SEA Games
JAKARTA (JP): The All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI)
announced yesterday the 26-strong soccer team for the Southeast
Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with teenage star Kurniawan
Dwi Yulianto missing from the list.
Secretary-General of PSSI's national team commission Endro
Soemardjo told a hearing with the National Sports Council (KONI)
yesterday that the SEA Games squad is made up of 22 players from
the league clubs, which have just completed the 1994/95 season,
plus four members of the national junior team Primavera.
"We will shortlist 22 players at the end of the centralized
training session in December," Endro told KONI's training
director Moch. Hindarto.
The national team will undergo a training stint in Gresik,
East Java, under the tutelage of Italian coach Romano Matte and
his assistants, Andi M. Teguh and Harry Tjong, starting Aug. 20.
PSSI has also named Agum Gumelar as the team manager.
The four junior booters will join the centralized training
program early next month after playing their Olympic Games
qualifying round Asia-Oceania Zone away matches in Seoul and Hong
Kong.
Endro said that the commission decided to pick teenage Bima
Sakti, Aples Tecuari, Eko Pujianto and Kurnia Sandi, but drop 19-
year-old striker Kurniawan due to his club commitment. Kurniawan
has just extended his contract with Swiss premiership Lucern for
another one-year term.
"We have many choices of forwards whose skills are equal,"
Endro said. Matte's forwarders are comprised of the league's five
goal machines, with Peri Sandria of Bandung Raya, Buyung Ismu of
Pelita Jaya and Widodo C. Putra of Petrokimia Putra in the hunt
for the striker's job.
Peri blasted his way to a record-breaking number of goals with
34 in the recent season, followed by Buyung with 30 and Widodo
with 20. Sutiono, whose 21st goal gave Persib Bandung a 1-0 win
in Sunday's league championship final, was ignored by the
selectors.
League champion Persib put its four players among the 26-man
team. They are goalkeeper Anwar Sanusi, defender Yadi Mulyadi,
midfielder Yusuf Bachtiar and forwarder Kekey Zakaria.
Try-out matches
Endro said the SEA Games soccer team will play a series of
try-out matches against both local and foreign clubs. PSSI has
also planned an international friendly match for the SEA Games
squad.
"It would be better if PSSI invited a foreign team of a higher
standard," Hindarto said.
Indonesia finished fourth in the 1993 SEA Games soccer
competition, losing 1-3 in the third-place playoff to host
Singapore.
Meanwhile, Persib is facing a daunting Asia Champions' Cup
draw against Thailand champion Bangkok Bank in the first round.
Persib will fly to Bangkok on Sept. 16 and will host the Thais in
Bandung on Sept. 30.
If lady luck smiles on Persib, it will play either Pasay of
the Philippines or Tumon of Guam.
In the Winners Cup, Petrokimia will also take on a Thai club,
Rajpracha. Petrokimia will visit Rajpracha on Oct. 15 and host
the Thais on Oct. 28. (amd)
National team nominees
Goalkeeper: Sumardi (Pupuk), Anwar Sanusi (Persib), Kurnia Sandi
(Primavera)
Defenders: Agung Setiabudi (Arseto), Rochmad (Pupuk), Aji Santoso
(Arema), Jaya Hartono (Assyabaab), Sugiantoro (Persebaya),
Yudi Kuncahyo (Pupuk Kaltim), Yadi Mulyadi (Persib), Suwandi
(Petrokimia), Eko Pujianto and Aples Tecuari (Primavera)
Midfielders: Erry Irianto (Petrokimia), Fachri Husaini (Pupuk),
Yusuf Bachtiar (Persib), Ansyari Lubis (Pelita), Iskandar
Jalil (Mitra), Chairil Anwar (Assyabaab), Ronny Wabia
(Persipura) and Bima Sakti (Primavera)
Forwards: Widodo C. Putra (Petrokimia), Peri Sandria (Bandung
Raya), Kekey Zakaria (Persib), Buyung Ismu (Pelita),
Singgih Pitono (Arema)