Indonesia international facing six-month ban

GOAL – JAKARTA, Young Indonesia international Irfan Bachdim could be banned for six months and fined more than €8,000 for allegedly missing national team training in order to chase a modeling career.

The naturalised 23-year-old, who has 12 senior caps, is reported to have been summoned for Under-23 national team duty earlier in the week, only to miss the sessions to take on an advertisement shooting job instead.

The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) is furious with the situation and could come down hard to Irfan, however the youngster said he was never summoned for duty.

“I read newspaper reports saying I ran away from the national team. That is not true. I really want to play for this country,” Irfan said via Twitter on Monday.

“After the Qatar game, there was no information telling me to join up with the U-23 team, so I carried out an activity for one of my sponsors for two days.”

However, PSSI discipline commission deputy chief Catur Agus Saptono told kompas.com: “I have told Irfan that if he was found to have violated the rule, he would be charged under article 78 of the disciplinary code concerning rejection of a national team call-up.

“According to the code, Irfan could be banned for six months and fined Rp 100 million (€8,235).”

Indonesian national soccer team coordinator Bob Hippy was furious with Irfan and said he wouldn’t be welcome back in the Merah Putih set-up.

“Yes, congratulations. I wish him success in his new profession. Maybe he is more suited to that profession,” a furious Hippy told kompas.com. “This will not affect the national team. We need to be firm; no one is special. So, goodbye [Irfan].”