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)