TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian football fanatics put their hope in the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) new chief Army Lieutenant General Edy Rahmayadi. People are hopeful that Edy, elected on November 10, 2016, will address a myriad of problems faced by national football.
The PSSI itself is not yet free from sanction imposed by the international football governing body (FIFA). “The PSSI will not start from zero, but from minus,” said Edy, 55, at Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Headquarters in Jakarta on Tuesday, November 22, 2016.
Edy received Tempo journalists Sapto Yunus, Raymundus Rikang, Rina Widiastuti, Indra Wijaya, Reza Maulana and photographer Dhemas Reviyanto in his office. For one and a half hour he talked about problems faced by national football. Below are excerpts from Edy’s interview with Tempo.
What is your program for PSSI?
First, the short-term program is to prepare a strong national team for SEA Games 2017 in Kuala Lumpur and Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang. There is no excuse for us to fail in the two events because the country’s dignity will be at stake. At least to progress to the semi-finals [of Asian Games]. We have to be number one, but we have to know our limit [as well]. The second is medium and long term programs to educate players age 15. We will rely on them eight years from now in the 2024 Olympics. Before that, the 2022 Pre-Olympics. At that point, players who receive education now will be in their prime. Hopefully, the nation will achieve something there.
Why don’t you aim for the 2020 Olympics?
It is too difficult. The Pre-Olympics will kick off in 2018. Indonesia does not have upcoming good players yet. We only have Evan Dimas, Manahati Lestusen, and former U-19 players. Some have questioned their quality. The answer is that they are the best of the worst. We have little choice because youth football development system in Indonesia has halted or in a critical condition. Keep in mind that youth system will not deliver instant results and levels of development will be needed.
Don’t we have a national competition?
The current competition is mostly played by veteran players aged 35 and above, such as Bambang Pamungkas, Cristian Gonzalez, and Ismed Sofyan. It indicates that the quality of young players is not too good.
How can you aim for 2024 Olympics qualification whereas your tenure will end in 2020?
I will create a database to collect players from every region. Mathematically, we can get 34 players from 34 provinces. We plan to send them [abroad] to train, e.g. two players to Spain, two players to the Netherlands, and two others to Italy, they will take the turn. And then get back here. We will develop them until 2024 so that we will no longer look for foreign players [to be naturalized].
Meaning to close the door to naturalized players for a call up to the national team?
In the meantime, I will continue to find foreign players of Indonesian descent. We are lagging behind in football development. We have no choice but to adopt the policy. I don’t want to [naturalize players] who do not have Indonesian blood, he has to have an emotional attachment.
TEMPO TEAM
