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Indonesia’s love of football is unquestioned, but 2009 was a year to test that love to its limits.

Disappointing performances in nearly every age group left a string of failures, with the Indonesian Under-23 team ending the year in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

It entered the Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos, with the target of a top two finish and possibly the country’s first gold medal since 1991. Reality was much harsher, though, as Indonesia finished winless for the first time in SEA Games history, including its first loss to Laos at any level.

Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) chairman Nurdin Halid left fans scratching their heads after the tournament, claiming the team’s failure was caused by a lack of communication between Uruguayan coach Alberto Bica and his players.

“I knew that he couldn’t speak English or Indonesian, which made it difficult for the players to understand his instructions,” Nurdin said.

His statement sparked a flurry of criticism, not least because, as chairman, he must sign off on national-team appointments.

The senior team didn’t fare much better. Three draws and a loss left the Merah Putih last in Group B of 2011 Asian Cup qualifying, leaving Indonesia needing to win at home against Oman (Jan. 6) and at Australia (March 3) to stand a chance of reaching the finals in Qatar.

Even if it wins both matches and snaps a skid of eight international games without a victory, other results must go its way. Barring a stunning turn of events, Indonesia will miss the Asian Cup for the first time since 1992.

Indonesia’s last win against another international side came on Dec. 7, 2008, against Cambodia in the AFF Suzuki Cup.

“As the coach, I just show the direction to the boys ,” Benny Dollo said when asked about his team’s chances of qualifying. “It’s up to them whether they will follow my directions or not.”

It is uncertain whether Benny, who is also the technical director at Persija Jakarta, will coach Indonesia after his contract runs out at the end of January.

If National Team Body chief Rahim Soekasah chooses not to renew Benny’s contract, possible replacements include Sriwijaya FC coach Rahmad Darmawan, Jacksen Tiago of Persipura Jayapura and former national team coach Ivan Kolev.

Indonesia’s Under-19 team, which began training in Uruguay in February 2008, failed to reach the Asian Football Confederation U-19 Championship despite hosting its qualifying group. The youngsters looked unsettled while playing in front of home fans for the first time in nearly two years.

“We’d never played in front of Indonesian supporters and we felt the pressure,” striker Syamsir Alam said after a 1-0 loss to Singapore in the opener at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, on Nov. 8.

A 7-0 humiliation against Japan followed, prompting harsh criticism of the PSSI for sending youngsters abroad without training them at home.

The four-year Uruguay project, scheduled to end in 2012, reportedly cost the PSSI Rp 20 billion ($2.1 million).

To their credit, the boys managed to finish strong. They thumped Taiwan 6-0 and held eventual runner-up Australia 0-0 before beating Hong Kong 4-1 en route to a third-place finish.

One bright spot was the Under-16 team, which qualified for the 2010 AFC U-16 Championship after finishing second in Group E.

Despite failures on the field at all levels, PSSI officials refused to take responsibility.

“We won’t step down, we didn’t make mistakes. It’s football, there will always be winners and losers,” secretary general Nugraha Besoes said. “FA officials don’t step down just because England doesn’t win the World Cup.”

They also insist Indonesia will go ahead with bidding for the 2022 World Cup. The bidding process itself will cost approximately Rp 240 billion, according to the PSSI, while improving stadiums and infrastructure could cost as much as Rp 10 trillion.

“It’s not just a dream,” Nugraha insisted. “It’s a dream that we can fulfill if we work very hard.”

However, former PSSI official Edi Elison thinks differently.

“The PSSI only thinks about glamorous things. We have a big competition, but we lack quality. We’re applying to host the World Cup,” he said. “Changing the PSSI chairman and officials may be a good start to rebuilding Indonesian football.” Football