KUANTAN (24 May 2015) – Pahang’s Round of 16 match in the AFC Cup competition Indonesia’s Persipura Jayapura scheduled to be played at the Mandala Stadium in Jayapura on Tuesday hangs in a limbo after Indonesian failed to issue visa to their foreign players.
The four foreigners who play for Pahang are Nigerian hitman Dickson Nwakaeme, Matias Conti (Argentina), Jamaican defender Damion Stewart and Zesh Rehman (Pakistan) – all key players for the Elephants in their quest to advance in the AFC Cup.
The Pahang team arrived in Jakarta on Saturday at 8pm but ran into visa sangs after the foreign players were not issued visa on arrival although the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur had assured that “everything will be in order” when documents for the players were made available on May 18.
Pahang FA secretary Fuzzemi Ibrahim confirmed that the team has returned home by the 8am flight from Jakarta after spending 12 hours at the airport on the instructions of the team’s management.
Pahang will file an official complaint with the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Monday
Another Indonesian club Persib Bandung is scheduled to face Hong Kong’s Kitchee FC at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung on Wednesday.
The other Malaysian club in the Round of 16 in the AFC Cup is Johor Darul Takzim who will take on Myanmar’s Ayeyawady United at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru on Wednesday.
