Persipura Shine A Light On Indonesian Football Gloom

These have not been happy days for fans of Indonesian football. The governing body, PSSI, is on a collision course with FIFA and there is a very real chance Indonesia could be banned from all FIFA recognised competitions which includes the World Cup Qualifiers that begin soon.

FA officials have twice humiliated themselves in front of representatives of FIFA as they bitch and scrap to elect a new leadership that will look after their interests and not the interests of the game.

Persipura could have been forgiven for going to Vietnam today for their AFC Cup tie with SLNA not giving a toss. Indonesian clubs have been notoriously poor travellers in Asian club competitions and I for one certainly expected nothing but a thumping for the champions elect domestically.

So I'm dead chuffed to be proved wrong. And how! They not only went there and won, they done their hosts 3-1 which is pretty bloody convincing in any one's book. Goals from Boas Solossa, Ortizan Solossa and Titus Bonai done the deed, all local lads as well.

Persipura can fly back to Indonesia with their heads held high. It's a shame the people who want to try and run the game can't do the same.