FIFA has handed down a heavy punishment to Indonesia National Team Manager Sumardji following an incident involving match officials during Indonesia’s World Cup qualifying clash against Iraq.
The sanction stems from the heated encounter between Indonesia and Iraq in the third round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, played on 11 October 2025, where Indonesia suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat.
According to the ruling, Sumardji — who also serves as Manager of Indonesia National Team — has been banned from accompanying the Indonesian national team for 20 matches and fined US$20,000(RM78,960) after being found guilty of pushing Chinese referee Ma Ning.
Ma Ning was the match official in charge during the controversial fixture, which was decided by a 76th-minute goal from Zidane Iqbal.
Tensions flared throughout the match as several refereeing decisions were deemed contentious by the Indonesian camp.
One of the most debated moments came when Kevin Diks was brought down inside the penalty area, but the referee opted not to award a spot kick. Compounding frustrations, VAR checks were reportedly limited, further fuelling anger among Indonesian players and officials.
The situation boiled over at the final whistle, with players and officials surrounding the referee in protest.
As a result of the post-match confrontation, Shayne Pattynama, Thom Haye, and Sumardji were all shown red cards for excessive protests.
FIFA later imposed four-match international bans on both Pattynama and Haye, ruling them out of Indonesia’s international windows in March and June 2026 — a significant blow to the Garuda squad’s plans moving forward.
Credit Photo : PSSI
