Egy Maulana And Ricky Kambuaya Called By The Indonesian National Team, Dewa United Coach Asks For League 1 To Be Postponed
JAKARTA - Dewa United coach, Jan Olde Riekerink, asked for a change in team schedule in the 30th week of Liga 1 2023/2024. The coach asked for the schedule to be postponed due to clashes in the competition schedule and the agenda of the Indonesian national team.
The Indonesian national team will face Vietnam in the second round of the 2026 Asian Zone World Cup Qualifiers on March 21 and 26, 2024.
On that agenda, two Dewa United players, namely Egy Maulana Vikri and Ricky Kambuaya, were included in the list of 26 players called by Shin Tae-yong to defend the Garuda Squad.
However, the agenda turned out to collide with a number of matches in the 30th week of Liga 1 2023/2024 which will start on March 27, 2024.
Dewa United will meet Persita Tangerang on March 27, 2024, which means that Egy and Kambuaya are absent from the match.
"Further matches, we will fight a team that fights against relegation (Persita). It's not an easy game."
"We lost players (Egy and Kambuaya), I can't imagine it," Riekerink said in his statement quoted on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
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Judging from this situation, the Dutch tactician then asked for a solution from the operator, PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB).
He hopes that there will be a reschedule for the 30th match, which according to him is too close to the agenda of the Indonesian national team.
"I hope there is a solution with the agenda of the Indonesian national team because basically sport is justice."
"We help (send) players to the Indonesian national team. As for the rules, I accept it," said Riekerink.
"Throughout the season I built a team. I hope they (Egy and Kambuaya) can perform well. I hope we can postpone our match (against Persita)," he said.
Despite the coach's hopes, Dewa United is currently struggling to break through the top four and qualify for the 2023/2024 League 1 Championship Series.
Riekerink's squad is now in seventh place with a total of 41 points. They are only five points adrift of Madura United in fourth place in the standings.