Bandung ready to host Champions Cup quarters
Bandung ready to host Champions Cup quarters
BANDUNG (JP): The Asian Football Confederation found yesterday no reasons to worry about letting Persib Bandung host the Asia Club Championship Group East quarterfinals here.
AFC's envoys led by R. Indran completed their second inspection of Bandung's Siliwangi stadium with a sigh of relief yesterday. They hinted that Persib need only wait for formal approval from AFC tomorrow.
"I am very pleased to see what Persib has done to improve the facilities at the stadium," Indran told reporters after his visit to the 25,000-seat stadium.
"Everything looks okay as far as I see. But I ask Persib to continue their works and finish them as soon as possible," Indran said.
The three-man team will present their report to AFC Secretary- General Peter Velappan.
Indran and his colleagues from AFC's Marketing Limited, Nick V. Mould and Ian Mathie, re-checked the locker rooms, bathrooms, players' benches, grandstand, the turf on the playing field, the secretariat office and press center.
Indran did not recommended the stadium for hosting the quarterfinals following his initial trip 10 days ago. He suggested instead that AFC hold the competition at Jakarta's Senayan stadium.
AFC prompted the re-inspection after Persib decided to hand over the organization of the matches to the All-Indonesia Football Association.
Indran also visited three other stadiums, ITB, Sangkuriang and Pusdikpom, which will accommodate training sessions of the visiting teams.
A Persib official, Dwi Koernianto, complained that AFC has yet to disburse its financial aid commitment worth US$50,000. "We can use the money for the reconstruction project of the stadium," he said.
As the host, Persib will receive the money from AFC in exchange for broadcasting rights for the competition.
Schedule
Persib, Japan's champion Verdy Kawasaki, South Korean champion Ilhwa Chunma and Cup holder Thai Farmers will play round robin matches in the quarterfinals, scheduled for Nov. 26 to Nov. 30. The top two teams will qualify for the semifinals against their counterparts from the West Group.
Persib will open its campaign against Verdy which will bank on its second stringers next Sunday. In the earlier match of the day, Ilhwa will take on Thai Farmers.
Title holders Thais will miss their five key players who are preparing for the 18th Southeast Asian Games.
The Japanese are expected to become the first team to arrive in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon. The Thais are scheduled to land a few hours later but, unlike Verdy, they will go directly to Bandung.
The quarterfinal line-up in the West Group was completed on Sunday as Qatar's Al Arabi beat Iraq's Zawra and Saipa of Iran overcame Al Samiya of Kuwait.
Last year's losing finalist Al Arabi and Saipa will join Kopetdag of Turkmenistan and host Al Nasr of Saudi Arabia in round-robin matches held in Riyadh, starting tomorrow. (pet/amd)