Iraq friendly cancelled over flight problem

JAKARTA (JP): An Asia Cup finals warmup match pitting Indonesia against Iraq tomorrow has been called off following flight problems that hit the Iraqis as they were about to depart.

Secretary-General of the All-Indonesia Football Association Nugraha Besoes told a press conference yesterday that the Iraqi Ambassador, Dr. Sa'doon J. Al-Zubaydi, had contacted him twice Sunday evening to confirm the cancellation.

"The Iraqi national team could not make their way here because they failed to get seats on the Royal Air Jordan plane which would fly them from Amman to Jakarta," Nugraha quoted Al-Zubaydi as saying yesterday.

Nugraha dismissed any political reasons behind the Iraqi players' failure to make a trip here. "It's merely a technical problem. Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas had confirmed the match would face no political barriers," he said.

Iraq has been enduring international sanctions imposed by the United Nations since 1991 following the Gulf War. An Iraqi junior team played here in the 1994 Asia Under-18 Championship.

The Iraqi team was scheduled to arrive today for the friendly match which was to be held at Senayan Stadium tomorrow evening.

Both Iraq and Indonesia have qualified for the Asia Cup finals in the United Arab Emirates in December.

According to Nugraha, the Iraqi team would be able to reach Jakarta on Oct. 25, but the Indonesian team will be in Genoa, Italy at that time for an overseas stint. Danurwindo's side is scheduled to fly to Italy on Oct. 24.

"It is not our fault. We've prepared everything: a sparring team and accommodation for the Iraqis. We've even printed tickets for the match," Nugraha said.

Argentina had earlier agreed to send a team to play here and said that the squad would arrive on Oct. 22, one day before the Indonesians' planned first friendly. The Indonesian soccer body considered the date inconvenient.

"It was too risky for a team to get ready in a very limited time," Nugraha said.

Nugraha said the Indonesian team has yet to plan any substitute international friendly before departing to Italy. (yan)