World Cup Bid a Shot In the Dark As Time Runs Out

Even though most Indonesians will be asleep when the outcome is decided, the nation’s hopes to host the 2022 World Cup are growing bleaker by the moment after the bid committee failed to secure a guarantee of government support.

“We’ve already asked the government, but the response we’ve been getting is everything is still being discussed,” Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) president Nurdin Halid said on Tuesday.

“But we won’t withdraw our bid, even if we can’t secure the letter. We’ll just let FIFA decide our fate.”

With the deadline elapsing at midnight Zurich time, the nation’s chances of welcoming the greatest sports event in the world are now close to nil.

A written assurance by the national government is one of FIFA’s requirements to be eligible to host the World Cup.

Nurdin said he would try to persuade FIFA to allow more time to secure the documents.

“If FIFA says ‘no,’ that’s the end of it,” he said.

Officials at the Ministry of Youth and Sports were not available for comment on Tuesday. But Minister Andi Mallarangeng had hinted the government would not support the bid.

“As [President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] has said, the PSSI must focus first on revitalizing the development of football in the country and nothing else,” Andi said on Monday.

FIFA accepted Indonesia’s initial bid in March 2009, adding it to a list of hopefuls that included Australia, Japan, Qatar and South Korea.

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