Suharno, Benny Dollo among candidates for Arema coach

Arema Indonesia Liga Indonesia football club (LSI) of Malang is searching for a new coach to replace Wolfgang Pikal after the lackluster performance of the team, known by fans as Singo Edan, in the recent championships.

Arema media officer Sudarmaji said there were two candidates for the job: Suharno and Benny Dollo (Bendol).

An announcement on the new coach is expected by the end of the month.

"We are discussing which of the two candidates, either Suharno or Bendol, will be at Arema's helm in the near future. We will immediately announce the new coach once we make a decision," Sudarmaji was quoted by Antara as saying on Saturday.

Arema is in a downward spiral after failing to shine in its last four matches.

The management has dismissed former national team coach assistant, Pikal, and temporarily assigned assistant coach Joko Susilo to replace Pikal.

Out of seven matches, Arema only pocketed two points after tying with minnows Persiram Raja Ampat 2-2 and Deltras Sidarjo 3-3.

The management also wants to hire a new goalkeeper for the team.

"We hope to recruit a new yet skilled goalie to replace our main goalkeeper, Dian Agus, who sustained injuries in a recent match," said Arema goalkeeper coach Dwi Sasmianto.