PSSI seeks sanctions on axed players

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) is looking to impose further sanctions against five players who have already been dismissed from the national team due to disciplinary problems.

Mukti Ali Radja and Djet Donal La'ala of league team Persija Jakarta, Kurniawan Dwi Julianto of Persebaya Surabaya, I Putu Gde of Arema Malang and Isnan Ali of Persikota Tangerang, were dumped from the national team prior to a trip to Malaysia for a friendly last week ahead of a match against Turkmenistan in the Asian qualifier for the 2006 World Cup.

The team was held to a 0-0 draw in Malaysia.

The players violated team rules by arriving back to the team hotel after midnight, or bringing their wives up to their hotel rooms.

Disciplinary commission head Togar Manahan Nero refused to say what further sanctions could be given to the players, saying officials would first meet with the players' league teams.

"We will basically give them harsher punishments," Togar said here on Thursday.

He said the commission would leave it acting PSSI chairman M. Zein to decide on an appropriate punishment. Zein is acting as chairman in place of Nurdin Khalid, who has taken leave to concentrate on campaigning for the legislative election.

Zein said the PSSI needed to discuss the matter first with the players' clubs, adding that the association had never dealt with a case like this before and had to proceed carefully.

"The players violated team rules. While they are not the first to have done this, it is the first time for us to take harsh action against the players.

"Being removed from the (national) team was hard enough for them," Zein said.

He said the PSSI and the clubs would arrive at a decision on the matter next week.

"It is better to take our time now rather than regret our decision in the future," he said.