CNA Explains: How Indonesia lost its U-20 World Cup host status and what it means for the local football scene

JAKARTA: In a last-ditch attempt to retain the country’s right to host the U-20 World Cup, Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) chairman Erick Thohir flew to Qatar on Wednesday (Mar 29) to meet with Gianni Infantino, the president of the sport’s governing body FIFA.

Despite Mr Thohir’s lobbying efforts and a personal letter from Indonesian President Joko Widodo stating the country’s readiness to host the tournament, FIFA announced that it has decided to strip Indonesia of its U-20 World Cup host status, less than two months before the tournament was supposed to kick off.

“A new host will be announced as soon as possible, with the dates of the tournament currently remaining unchanged,” the football body said in a statement released shortly after Mr Infantino’s meeting with Mr Thohir.

The world football body had earlier expressed concern about Indonesia’s ability to host the event, cancelling at the last minute the tournament’s group draw event which was originally scheduled to take place on Friday on the popular resort island of Bali.

FIFA did not specify the reason for its decision to disallow Indonesia from hosting the U-20 World Cup, stating only that it was “due to the current circumstances.”

This appeared to be a reference to growing calls in the Muslim-majority country for the Israeli team to be excluded from the tournament. Among those calling for the ban were two governors who hail from the same political party as the Indonesian president.

Many Indonesians took to social media to express their anger and frustration, not at FIFA, but at the politicians deemed responsible for the debacle.

"Who knows what sacrifices we have made for this country, for this event. It is gone in a blink of an eye because of your political