National Team Prepares 22 Footballers To Face Chelsea

Surabaya, E Java, July 22 (Antara) - The national team board of the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has prepared 22 players in the face of Chelsea, one of the English Premier League soccer teams, in Jakarta`s Bung Karno stadium on July 25. The 22 players, grouped in BNI Indonesia All Star, consisting of the senior and the under 23 years old (U-23) players, said Sefdin Syaifudin, the national team board`s secretary, in its statement here on Sunday. "All team players are expected to have exercises for the match in Jakarta on Monday (July 22)," he said. According to him, players hailing from the U-23 team are Kurnia Meiga, Hasyim Kipuw, Egi Melgiansyah, Rizki Ahmad Sanjaya, Bayu Gatra, Rasyid Assahid Bakri (PSM), Andik Vermansyah, Hendra Adi Bayauw, Syamsir Alam, Agung Supriyanto, and Seftia Hadi. Meanwhile, the senior ones are Muhamad Roby, Ferdinand Sinaga, Victor Igbonefo, Purwaka Yudhi, Greg Nwokolo, Raphael Maitimo, Ahmad Bustomi, Hamka Hamzah, Ruben Karel Sanadi, Titus Bonai, and Ajisaka. Some of the national team players have experiences in facing teams of the Netherlands, Arsenal and Liverpool. Chelsea is expected to arrive on July 23 and play a match on July 25 as part of its Asia tour 2013. In the last match when facing Liverpool in Bung Karno main stadium on Saturday (July 20), the Indonesia XI team under the coach, Jacksen F Tiago, lost 0-2. The 22 players, grouped in BNI Indonesia All Star, were trained by Rahmat Darmawan.