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Angry fans point fingers at PSSI for national team’s World Cup qualifier flop
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An apparent Indonesia supporter allegedly tries to attack Malaysia supporters during the 2022 World Cup soccer qualifier between Indonesia and Malaysia at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta on Sept. 5. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
H
eavily annoyed and disappointed with the latest Indonesian senior national soccer team’s 3-1 defeat to neighboring Vietnam in a 2022 World Cup qualifier, soccer fans hold the Indonesia Soccer Association accountable and are therefore demanding the currently chiefless association immediately take firm action to solve the problems.
“We, as fans, would go to all the people who are running for the chief PSSI seat and ask for their commitment to fix the problem. We are going to make public their promises so they would go by them as everyone watches,” Ignatius Indro, chief of the National Team’s Supporters Association, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Indro also said that the association has vowed to reject the PSSI’s annual report, which was to be presented at a special congress on Nov. 2 that was tailored to elect the new PSSI chief. With the national team’s four losses in the row, Indro added, the association simply had no reason to believe that the PSSI has gone all-out in managing the country’s soccer.
Before bowing down to Vietnam, Indonesia was defeated 5-0 by the United Arab Emirates, 3-0 by Thailand and 3-2 by Malaysia in previous qualifiers. The Garuda squad endured the dramatic 3-2 loss to Malaysia on its qualifier debut before a home crowd at the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex in Senayan. The Malaysia-Indonesia match was also marred by fans brawling, which was sparked by their disappointment following their team's loss.
Save Our Soccer coordinator Akmal Marhali had also voiced concerns over PSSI’s current shape, which he deemed to be not in line with the spirit of reform. Akmal acknowledged that he was quite pessimistic about the PSSI being able to perform in good shape in the future as it was still carrying people who would likely corrupt it from inside.
“All PSSI voters should bring people with integrity and persistence to the surface so they could get rid of corrupt people from the PSSI. This will be the only way,” Akmal said in a talk show held by public broadcaster TVRI recently.
