PSSI sets no target in World Cup qualifying
JAKARTA (JP): While other Asian countries struggle for prestigious 2002 World Cup tickets, the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) is pessimistic about its chances in the Group Nine qualifying round beginning in April.
PSSI secretary-general Tri Goestoro said on Wednesday the national team will not set a target except to achieve its best considering the current team consists mostly of juniors.
"We realize that our senior players have reached their optimum skills. Therefore we want to rejuvenate the national team. We are searching for youngsters to be trained for better achievements in the near future. We will appoint some seniors to accompany them," he said.
"We don't have any target for the prequalifying round. We just want to achieve the best we can with the available resources."
PSSI appointed Benny Dolo, former coach of Persita club from Tangerang regency, to coach the national team and its treasurer Irawadi D. Hanafi as team manager.
Benny will be assisted by Mundari Karya from Barito Putra. The prequalification training program starts on March 19.
Indonesia is in the same group as Cambodia, China and the Maldives. It will host the Maldives on April 8, Cambodia on April 22 and China on May 27. In the away from hone matches, the national team will challenge Cambodia on April 29, the Maldives on May 6 and China on May 13.
Tri said Benny had been hired for two years for the national team, but would only serve as an assistant coach for the squad for the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in September.
PSSI will appoint a foreign coach for the Games and hope to reach the final at the biennial event.
Regarding Benny's status at Persita, he said PSSI had settled the matter with the club on Tuesday. Persita is now being coached by Benny's former assistant Solihin.
"Pak Benny Dolo can learn from the foreign coach while at the same time the coach will need information about the characters of the Indonesian players," Tri said.
He said further that Benny and Irawadi would be answerable to PSSI officials.
Benny said he would focus on developing a good soccer team that would hopefully be ready by March 12 at the latest.
"We aren't talking about achievements here. We are in the process of building a good national team, so we have to be realistic. We know where we stand in the Asian soccer community," he said, adding that he would do his best.
Indonesia will face the toughest challenge from China, which just hired Serbian top coach Bora Milutinovic to lead the team to the World Cup.
"Although we are not burdened by a target, I still have my pride. I don't want to be a scapegoat for any disappointing result. But we must face the risk and I hope soccer fans are ready for it," Benny said.
He has received assurances that PSSI will not interfere with his decisions concerning setting up a team. He also said there would be no overseas tryouts as part of training preparation.
"I will introduce my program to the team four days after training begins and then we will continue training with off-play system," Benny said.
In January, Indonesia moved down one place to 15th in FIFA's Asian rankings and 104th in the world. China is Asia's No. 9 and world No. 71th. Maldives stands at 30 in Asia and 154 in the world while Cambodia ranks 35th in Asia and 167th in the world. (ivy)