Bambang replaces Tugiyo in Asia Cup qualifier

JAKARTA (JP): The 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games soccer team striker, Bambang Pamungkas, will replace Tugiyo in the national team for the pre Asia Cup.

Coach Nandar Iskandar said on Wednesday that Tugiyo had to resign as a result of an injury during a tryout match in Manado, North Sulawesi.

Tugiyo was the Semarang soccer club (PSIS) hero scoring the winning goal in the fifth Indonesian League in Manado where PSIS defeated defending champions Persebaya Surabaya.

Bambang, who joined the pre-Olympics team, canceled his plans to study in Germany where he had joined the Bundesliga second division team Muenchen Gladbach, in favor of joining the Indonesian national team.

Nandar expressed hope that Bambang would be able to sharpen the frontline together with other strikers Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto, Widodo C Putro and Rocky Putiray.

"I heard he just returned from Germany and I immediately called him after Tugiyo resigned," he said.

Four of the 23 players -- goalkeeper Ngadiono, right winger Ilham Jayakesuma, defender Warsidi and midfielder Andrian Mardiansyah -- were excluded from the team.

Goalie Sahari Gultom was called to replace Ngadiono.

Indonesia will compete in the 2000 Asia Cup qualifying round in Hong Kong starting from Oct. 23. It is in the same group as Cambodia and host Hong Kong.

Indonesia stands a good chance in qualifying for the Asia Cup to be held in the Lebanon next year.

Team manager M. Zein said the team would play against local teams prior to the qualification. Indonesia had planned to compete in the Ho Chi Mihn City Cup as a warm up but it pulled out as it was thought that the participating teams were not strong enough.

"When we saw the teams taking part we decided to withdraw because we need tough opponents. Only lesser teams are competing in the Cup," he said, as quoted by Antara.

Zein said the national team would have tryouts in Medan, North Sumatra and in Jakarta. (yan)