Fearing heavy fines for overzealous fans, Indonesian football calls for help from AFC and FIFA

In October 2024, the Indonesian team had 2 matches in the 3rd qualifying round of the World Cup: against Bahrain (10.10, drew 2-2) and China (15.10, lost 1-2). The above results not only caused "Garuda" to miss the opportunity to rise to the top of Group C but also to be caught up by the bottom team, China, in terms of points (both with 3 points). After these 2 matches, Indonesian fans were very angry at the disappointing results of coach Shin Tae-yong and his team.

Notably, the 2-2 draw between the Indonesian team and Bahrain caused great anger among Indonesian fans. Most Indonesian fans believed that coach Shin Tae-yong and his team deserved to win. However, the referee's bias towards the home team, allowing the match to last until the 100th minute despite only 6 minutes of injury time in the second half, helped Bahrain equalize. About 2 weeks after the match ended, the websites of the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) and the main referee Ahmed Al Kaf (Oman) were continuously attacked. Things got so serious that the BFA and the Oman Football Association asked FIFA and AFC to intervene to prevent the extreme behavior of Indonesian fans.

Indonesian fans always have a large force in the stands.

Not stopping there, the Bahrain team also sent a request to the AFC, requesting to play on a neutral field when the two teams rematch in March 2025. According to the BFA, many Bahrain players are concerned about security as well as the violence when playing away in Indonesia. Currently, the AFC has officially stepped in and is considering whether the match can continue to take place on Indonesia's field or not.

Faced with the possibility of Indonesian fans being punished by FIFA and AFC, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) had to take action. On November 1, PSSI Secretary General Yunus Nusi said he had sent a letter to AFC and FIFA, hoping that the two organizations would not impose too harsh a punishment.

Mr. Yunus Nusi shared: “PSSI hopes that AFC and FIFA will be lenient. Indonesian fans have many extreme reactions but please understand them. PSSI considers this a clear proof that Indonesian people love the national team very much. They want everything to be fair and that is also the reason why PSSI has filed a lawsuit against the referee.”

Mr. Yunus Nusi assessed that after having overreacted in the match against Bahrain, Indonesian fans realized their mistakes and immediately changed in the next match against the Chinese team: “As everyone has seen, when the Indonesian national team lost to China, our fans accepted it and reacted very positively. Many even praised the referee's ability. This is something we are improving and hope the AFC and FIFA will take note of.”

AFC and FIFA will closely monitor the security of Indonesian fans

According to CNN Indonesia , the AFC and FIFA will closely monitor security issues when the Indonesian team meets Saudi Arabia and Japan in November. If Indonesian fans allow violence or attack opposing players or referees, they will likely receive heavy penalties from the AFC and FIFA.

On behalf of PSSI, Mr. Arya Sinulingga spoke about security preparations: "We will use high-tech equipment to manage the audience entering the stadium. I hope everything goes well. In the next matches, the government will also increase security forces, police and have many other supporting equipment."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/so-bi-phat-nang-vi-cdv-qua-khich-bong-da-indonesia-cau-cuu-afc-va-ca-fifa-18524110116090032.htm