Dicky Christanto Wulandaru, Jakarta – The incoming chair of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) should focus on improving the performance of the senior national team, following its consecutive losses at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, a top sports official has said.
"The road to best performance and achievements remains long for our senior national team. This is worth the special treatment and attention from whoever wins the election of the PSSI chief," Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Gatot S. Dewobroto.said in a statement The Jakarta Post received on Saturday.
The national team lost consecutively to Vietnam 1-3, Thailand 0-3 and the UAE 0-5 after its first match loss of 2-3 to rival Malaysia.
Team Garuda still has three more matches to go at the Asian qualifiers, but many are extremely pessimistic that the team can redeem itself in the remaining matches.
Gatot added that the ministry had maintained its distance from the PSSI's election to prevent any misunderstandings, but expected more detailed information so it wouldn't be kept in the dark.
"We need to know when and where the extraordinary congress will be held," he said.
Gatot stressed that the ministry had a right to know, as it was responsible for the condition of all national sports as mandated by the National Sports Law.
The PSSI is currently inviting candidates to apply for its top position, which will be selected during an extraordinary congress scheduled for Nov. 2. It now has 11 candidates from the previous eight, after the PSSI's appellate commission ruled in favor of the petitions submitted by Arif Putra Wicaksono, Sarman El Hakim and Yesayas Oktavianus.
The 11 candidates are: Afen Hinelo, Arif Putra Wicaksono, Benhard Limbong, Benny Erin, Fary Djemi Francis, La Nyalla Mattalitti, Mochamad Iriawan, Rahim Soekasah, Sarman El Hakim, Vijaya Fitriyasa and Yesayas Oktavianus.