Okta Drops A Division

It was only last December that pacy winger Oktavianus Maniani was being talked about as the great new hope of Indonesian football along with Irfan Bachdim. The Sriwijaya winger was a bit of an unknown and thrown against Malaysia and Laos in the AFF Cup he created an immediate impact and, along with Bachdim and Riedl, helped make Indonesian football 'sexy' with the masses.

More critical observers however suggested he was a one trick pony who offered pace but not much else and certainly not guile or subtlety. Point him in the right direction, push a button and off he would go.

Against Thailand and the Philippines however he had been sussed and he was little more than a passenger but then didn't stop some people suggesting a future in Europe beckoned.

It didn't. Sriwijaya were happy enough to let him go and rather than heading west Okta headed in the other direction and, for good measure, dropped a division, signing for Persiram Raja Empat. December's halcyon days have been replaced a cold, hard reality.