Indonesia

· Official name: Republic of Indonesia
· Capital: Jakarta
· Currency: Rupiah (IDR 9,800 : US$1)
· Official language: Bahasa Indonesia
· Land area: 1,919,440 sq km
· Population (approx.): 238.5 million

The Republic of Indonesia is formed out of an archipelago of 17,508 islands that straddle the equator. Covering a distance of over 5,000 kilometres from Papua in the east to Sumatra in the west, it is South East Asia’s largest nation and the world’s fourth most populous country.

Located on the northwest corner of the island of Java, the capital of Jakarta is the country’s prime gateway and a bustling city of over 10 million inhabitants with diverse ethnic influences drawn from over 300 different cultural groups.

FOOTBALL IN INDONESIA

Governing body: All Indonesia Football Federation /
Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia (PSSI)
Formed: 1930

Asian Cup final records:

2004 Group Stage

2000 Group Stage

1996 Group Stage

International honours: South East Asian Games champions 1987, 1991

Football in Indonesia enjoys a long and distinguished history with the country enjoying the distinction of being the first Asian representatives at the FIFA World Cup, entering the 1938 competition in France under the colonial name of the Dutch East Indies.

Indonesia were one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation in 1954 but the national team did not qualify for the finals rounds of the Asian Cup until 1996. They broke new ground at the 2004 Asian Cup when they scored their first ever victory in the final rounds, stunning Qatar 2-1. They failed to make it past the group stage though following defeats against eventual finalists China and semi-finalists Bahrain.

At the regional level, Indonesia have claimed two SEA Games gold medals but they have not enjoyed much fortune in the Tiger Cup, losing consecutive finals to Thailand in 2000 and 2002, and to Singapore in 2004.

With former Thailand coach Peter Withe now at the helm, Indonesia are clearly building for the future and, with the backing of the most passionate fans in the region, are likely to be a tough proposition at the 2007 Asian Cup.

ASIAN CUP 2007 VENUE

Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
Capacity: 100,000

One of Asia’s biggest sports arenas, the venerable Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which is also popularly known as Senayan Stadium, was built for the 1962 Asian Games and has been the venue for many of Indonesia’s biggest sporting events including three South East Asian Games and the Tiger Cup finals of 2002 and 2004.

Located in the Senayan district, the 100,000-capacity stadium is just a short distance away from Jakarta’s Sudirman business district and the Jakarta Convention Centre. The stadium boasts an excellent football pitch and is slated for extensive renovations to ready the facility for the Asian Cup in 2007.

Taken from =afcasiancup=