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Indonesia apologizes to Malaysia over chaotic World Cup soccer qualifier
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An alleged Indonesian supporter tries to attack Malaysia supporters during 2022 World Cup soccer qualifier between Indonesia and Malaysia at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
I
t was a crash-and-burn moment for Indonesian soccer as chaos erupted in an essential 2022 World Cup qualifying match against Malaysia, even before the scoreboard showed a 3-2 loss for the host on Thursday evening.
In a quick response, Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi sent an official letter of apology to Malaysia Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq over the incident, which he conceded had been instigated by Indonesian supporters.
“On behalf of the government and people of Indonesia, we apologize to the people of Malaysia over the inconvenience and the incident. As nations based on shared ancestry, it is essential for us to respect and make strong each other,” Imam said in the letter, which was shared to journalists on Friday.
“Requesting and accepting an apology is the best gesture, as what we’ve done before over an incident involving an Indonesian flag that was upside-down during 2017 SEA [Southeast Asian] Games in Kuala Lumpur. We hope it was the last incident to ever happen in soccer and that it will be a lesson to learn for all.”
In soccer especially, international matches between Indonesia and Malaysia have always been heated.
Thursday evening’s disturbance at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, broke out shortly after the Malaysian squad began to catch up to the leading host on the pitch.
