JakartaPost-Mar 28, 2023
Indonesia’s license to host the FIFA U-20 World Cup is in serious jeopardy as the fallout from local protests over Israel’s participation in the youth tournament spreads internationally, with other countries ready to pounce on the opportunity should the world soccer governing body look elsewhere. The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) announced on Sunday that FIFA had canceled the tournament’s group stage draw indefinitely, after some regional chapters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lent their voices to protests over Israel’s presence in the tournament. The Israeli national team qualified for the U-20 last year without appreciable political opposition in Indonesia or elsewhere. Now that there is a real threat that FIFA may move the competition elsewhere, several nations have stepped up to offer their services. Argentinian media outlet Doble Amarilla reported on Sunday that the Argentine Football Association (AFA) had formally submitted a request to take over the youth world cup. Should Argentina win the bid, its U-20 team will take the spot in the competition reserved for the host country. Speculation was also rife on social media that Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, and Saudi Arabia, which is still in the running to host the 2030 World Cup, had been tapped as other alternatives. On Monday, a former PSSI official was quoted by local media as saying that FIFA had notified the association that Peru, the host of the U-17 World Cup later this year, would be taking over as host of the U-20 event. PSSI officials were not immediately available for comment, but association chairman Erick Thohir insisted earlier this month that Indonesia would be better off retracting its bid than facing embarrassment in front of a global audience. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2023/03/28/fears-grow-fifa-may-revoke-ris-license-to-host-u-20.html
