Iraq friendly cancelled over flight problem
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)