Indonesian news portals were buzzing with reactions to the laser beam incident in Sunday’s Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup final first-leg match, with some anticipating trouble during the second leg of the final tomorrow.
Mediaindonesia.com reported that the security will be tightened in anticipation of a backlash from Indonesian fans.
Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) secretary-general Nugraha Besoes told the news portal that they expected Indonesian fans to turn up for the match with laser pointers and other dangerous items.
Indonesian child activist Seto Mulyadi advised those attending the match to keep their children at home.
“Spectators should not bring their children to the Bung Karno Stadium if it is unsafe,” she told The Jakarta Post, anticipating untoward incidents during the match.
The headlines on news portal Republika.co.id read “Malaysian supporters disrespect Indonesian attributes.”
It displayed a photo of four Malaysian supporters celebrating the national team’s win with one of them placing his foot on a shawl with the word “Indonesia” printed on it. The portal reported that the picture was spreading on social networking websites and sparking anger among Indonesians.
Indonesia coach Alfred Riedl told the news portal that the team’s defeat had nothing to do with the laser beam incident. He attributed the loss to weaknesses displayed by the team players.
He said the Indonesian team performed well at the beginning of the match but began to decline after Malaysia scored the first of its three goals.
“After their first goal, the Malaysian team gained confidence and our defence became weak,” he said.
Kompas.com quoted Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono advising Indonesian players not to blame Malaysians for their defeat.
“Don’t lose heart and don’t blame each other,” he said
