Nandar instructs team to secure midfield

Nandar instructs team to secure midfield

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's national team coach, Nandar
Iskandar, said his players would have to control the midfield to
win their first match against Hong Kong in the home-and-away
prequalifying round of the Asian Cup at Mong Kok Stadium, Hong
Kong, on Sunday.

Nandar said the Hong Kong team's midfield were quick and
accurate in controlling and passing the ball on to the forwards.
He observed the team's performance against Cambodia on Monday
where Hong Kong won 4-1.

"All four goals were created by Hong Kong's midfield who
managed to take control of the center of the pitch," he told
reporters on Wednesday evening.

Nandar said he would instruct his players to secure the
midfield particularly when their opponents where in possession of
the ball in this area.

"Our players should be able to block the Hong Kong midfield
players and not to allow them to pass the ball to the forwards,"
he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Nandar hoped that midfield players Imron Nahumahuri, Bima
Sakti, Uston Nawawi and Ali Sunan could do the job successfully.
He also said that Hong Kong players might win more balls in air
as they are taller than Indonesian players.

However, he is optimistic that Indonesia has a chance to win
the first leg as the Hong Kong team "is not very special".

The team will leave for Hong Kong on Friday. After that, it
will fly to Pnomh Penh on Oct. 26 to challenge Cambodia in the
second match on Oct. 30.

Nandar said the Cambodian team was not as strong as the one
which competed in the 1999 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei
Darussalam last August, although most of players competed in the
Games.

"The team is no longer coached by the German Joachim Flickert.
But we have to be careful because the local fans will get right
behind their team," he said. (ivy)

Team lineup

Goalkeepers: Hendro Kartiko, Sahari Gultom
Defenders: Aji Santoso, Anang Ma'ruf, Eko Purjianto, Sugiantoro,
Ismed Sofyan, Nur'Alim, I Made Pasek Wijaya
Midfield players: Ali Sunan, Alexander Saununu, Bima Sakti,
Hariyanto Prasetyo, Imran Nahumarury, Uston Nawawi
Forwards: Bambang Pamungkas, Rocky M.E. Putiray, Widodo C. Putro