PSSI delays punishment for errant players

PSSI delays punishment for errant players

JAKARTA (JP): The All Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) has
delayed announcing the punishment for Mursyid Effendi and Kuncoro
until Tuesday.

The two defenders were responsible for a deliberate own goal
which handed victory to Thailand in a recent Tiger Cup match.

PSSI spokesman Tondo Widodo said the federation had called
another meeting after coach Rusdy Bahalwan and his assistant
Nandar Iskandar failed to show up for a hearing on Friday.

Tondo said Rusdy gave no reason for his absence while Nandar's
failure to appear was due to his car breaking down on the way to
the federation office in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Team manager Andrie Amin turned up for the hearing, but the
federation could not decide on a punishment solely on the basis
of his explanation, Tondo said.

Mursyid hit the ball into Indonesia's net in the dying seconds
of the match after a defensive pass from Kuncoro to give Thailand
an unwanted 3-2 win.

Tondo said Rusdy had written a report on the match in which
both Indonesia and Thailand played to lose.

"We hope to announce the punitive measures and report them to
the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) on Tuesday," Tondo said.

He said punishment had been requested by the AFF in exchange
for allowing an Indonesian appeal against the US$40,000 fine
imposed following the bizarre display. Thailand received a
similar fine.

Indonesia beat Thailand on penalties in the third-place
playoff, but the AFF stripped Indonesia of its $20,000 prize
money.

Earlier on Friday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
suspended both countries "from any international matches until
further notice."

Meanwhile, former Thai soccer coach Withaya Laohakul said on
Saturday that he hoped the AFC decision to ban the country from
international competition would only be a temporary measure.

"I hope it (the ban) does not affect Thailand's participation
in the Asian Games. Fingers crossed, it will only be a yellow
card and last for one month," Withaya, who quit along with the
Thai team's entire management after the match, told Reuters.

Thailand is hosting the 13th Asian Games from Dec. 6 to Dec.
20.

AFC general secretary Peter Velappan said in Kuala Lumpur on
Friday that the suspension would last until the issue was
reviewed by the conference's executive committee in Lebanon on
Oct. 23.

The Bangkok Post said in an editorial: "The ban has given the
Thai soccer authorities a much needed boot up the backside and
hopefully they will learn from this painful lesson."

"Hopefully out of the ban will emerge a fresh approach from
the Thai soccer authorities. We want a team that can hold up
their heads in pride and say 'we did our best' whatever the
result."

Withaya, a celebrated member of the Thai national team in the
1970s and 1980s before he went to play professional soccer in
Germany and Japan, was repentant but pleaded for understanding.

"I really regret what has happened... but it is normal for
soccer teams to try everything to get as far as possible in a
tournament. This is a lesson for us," he said. (yan)