Indonesian soccer jolted by international game suspension
Indonesian soccer jolted by international game suspension
JAKARTA (JP): The All Indonesian Soccer Federation expressed
shock on Friday at news of the country's suspension from
international play because of a farcical game at the Tiger Cup in
Vietnam last week.
Newly appointed federation chairman Agum Gumelar said he would
only respond to the punishment after receiving official
notification from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which
announced the penalty earlier in the day.
"I don't know if we're going to appeal. We will just wait and
see until the AFC formally lets us know about the suspension,"
said Agum, who took over from Azwar Anas on Wednesday.
The continent's soccer governing body imposed an equal
punishment on Thailand. Both countries were fined US$40,000 for
embarrassing performances in a game they played to lose.
"I just heard the news. Well, it's probably a gift for me who
has just been promoted to the top post," Agum said wryly.
"Of course the punishment is too heavy to bear. We just saw
our team disappoint their fans in the Tiger Cup, and now we have
to suffer another big blow."
The AFC executive committee ordered a special inquiry into the
Thailand-Indonesia final group match in the Tiger Cup on Sept. 7,
which Thailand won 3-2 after a deliberate own goal by Indonesia
in the dying seconds. Both teams are suspended until the
inquiry's completion.
"The AFC was deeply shocked by such a farcical match," the
confederation's general-secretary Peter Velappan was quoted by
AFP as saying.
"It was deliberately fixed to bring serious disrepute to Asian
football. Both teams are suspended from international matches
until further notice."
The special inquiry has been ordered to produce a report by
October. The executive committee will meet at the end of October
to decide further action.
He said both countries could be suspended from the qualifying
tournament for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Iraq was suspended
for two years in the 1980s for using over-age players.
The draw made by the AFC in Kuala Lumpur on Friday put
Indonesia in the same qualifying group with three-time World Cup
finalist South Korea, Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei. Thailand is
drawn in an easier group on paper, with Tiger Cup champion
Singapore, India, Laos and Brunei.
The preliminary round matches will be played between Feb. 1
and June 30 next year, with all nine group winners qualifying for
the final round between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30. Group winners will
be divided into three pools, with the top-placed teams earning a
berth in the Olympics.
With Indonesia already withdrawing from the Asian Games soccer
competition, Asiad host Thailand may endure a demoralizing
absence from the competition if the suspension remains in effect
in December.
The 13th Asiad will take place from Dec. 6 to Dec. 20 in
Bangkok.
Spokesman for the Indonesian soccer body Tondo Widodo accused
the AFC of being heavy-handed in meting out the punishment.
"Maybe the AFC knew Indonesia would not compete in the Asian
Games soccer, so they look for an alternative punishment," Tondo
said. (yan)