By Mark Baber
January 16 – Indonesia’s new youth and sports minister Roy Suryo (pictured) has threatened to disband Indonesia’s two rival football factions unless a solution is found their row before a FIFA’s imposed March 16 deadline to settle their differences.
The battle for control of Indonesian football has been long running between the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and the breakaway Indonesian Soccer Rescue Committee (KPSI).
FIFA originally threatened to suspend the feuding groups if the dispute was not resolved by December 10 but a three month extension was granted to resolve the battle, after talks involving FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
Indonesia currently has two rival domestic leagues run by the PSSI breakaway KPSI. Players with KPSI-affiliated clubs have not been released for national duties and have failed to turn up for a training camp prior to the opening Asian Cup qualifier against Iraq, scheduled for February 6.
Suryo has threatened to disband Indonesia’s two rival football factions unless a solution is found their row before FIFA’s March 16 deadline.
“FIFA has given us a deadline of March 16. So, we have to solve the problems by then…I have neither interests nor attachment to the … PSSI and KPSI. So, God willing, I will solve it,” said Suryo.
“There will be only one PSSI,” he said.
Suriyo was only sworn into office this week and immediately made it clear that in his mediation efforts he was taking care not to cross the line into government interference in football – which would likely lead to an automatic ban from FIFA.
Suryo replaced Andi Mallarangeng who had been named as a suspect in the Hambalang sports complex scandal by Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission.
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