By Tom Degun
December 12 – The Indonesian Government has formed a football task force in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a FIFA suspension following a major row between two rival soccer factions in the country.
Football in Indonesia has been plagued by infighting between the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and the breakaway Indonesian Soccer Rescue Committee (KPSI), who want control of the sport in the country.
FIFA has threatened to suspend Indonesia if the dispute is not resolved, forcing the Government to appoint a five-person task force to quickly diffuse the issue and discuss terms of a potential suspension.
The task force team comprises Rita Subowo, Tono Suratman, Agum Gumelar, Yuli Mumpuni and Djoko Pekik.
“The task force will negotiate with FIFA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) to work out as best as they can prevent a sanction from FIFA or at least minimise the sanction,” said Indonesia’s interim Youth and Sports Minister Agung Laksono.
“The task force is expected to build communications with the world body.”
At one point, Indonesia had two national teams and still has two domestic leagues with players blocked from competing in the other.
The PSSI and KPSI signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June at the AFC headquarters, where they agreed to run one league next season and hold a congress by December 10, however, the truce did not materialise.
The fate of Indonesian football will be discussed during FIFA’s Executive Board meeting in Tokyo on Friday (December 14).
“The task force will start work right away and they have to work swiftly because we only have until December 14,” Agung said.
“We must see some positive developments prior to FIFA’s meeting in Tokyo.
“We must prioritise to save Indonesian soccer.”
In a letter, FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke described the issue as having “come to the point where conflicts between the PSSI and the KPSI have got out of hand and a joint committee consisting of representatives from both parties has made no significant progress”.
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