PSSI - The Editorial

PSSI

It seems that whenever it comes to soccer, Indonesia makes more news outside, than in, the soccer field.

A clear example was when the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI), an organization which is older than the Indonesian Republic, earlier this week made headlines when the world soccer association, FIFA, ruled that Nurdin Halid whom the association refused to sack as PSSI chairman when he was found guilty of graft, would not be allowed to run in the elections. Halid, 48, was reelected on April 20 but FIFA called for the polls to be reorganized because they were not carried out within the agreed timeframe.

The Supreme Court last month declared that Halid was guilty of misusing Rp169 billion belonging to a logistics company he led, overturning a 2005 lower court acquittal. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Halid, reportedly took the money from a fund intended for the distribution of cooking oil. At the time, he was reelected for a second term as PSSI chairman in his hometown of Makassar in South Sulawesi.

But Halid was an influential figure indeed because even after FIFA announced its ruling, his die-hard supporters at PSSI , including Secretary General Nugraha Besoes, only said he “would revealed everything to the public in the coming several days.”

It was not clear what he intended to reveal and whether he—together with a number of Halid’s closest associates at PSSI—would maintain their boss in his position despite FIFA’s announcement.

We surely hope that it will not happen because PSSI and all the activities and programs that it runs will likely be in jeopardy if the ruling by the highest authority in the soccer world is ignored.

True, PSSI actually does not have much to speak of when it comes to achievements of the Indonesian national team or clubs in international competition. Its reputation has for years been tarnished as well for match-fixing, corruption, even brawls and violence involving soccer fans.
It was not until mid this year that it began to gain praises for co-hosting the Asian Cup although the national team was still lagging behind that of most Asian countries.

Defying FIFA’s ruling, in our opinion, will only further ruin the image PSSI. It other words, Halid has to go. At least for now.