Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) will inspect the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium (GBT) in Surabaya City, East Java Province, before opening ticket sales for the friendly match between the Indonesian and Palestinian national teams."I plan to go to Surabaya on June 5 to check the condition of the pitch at the GBT Stadium first before selling the tickets," said PSSI Chairperson Erick Thohir to reporters on Tuesday. The friendly match is scheduled to be held on June 14, 2023. "We should not open ticket sales if the pitch has not been ready to be used," emphasized the PSSI chairperson after attending an event called BRImo Future Garuda, a coaching program for Indonesian young football talents initiated by the state-run bank Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI). He stated that although the GBT Stadium had previously been prepared to host the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which was eventually moved to Argentina, his side still wanted to ensure that the facilities at the venue are in accordance with international standards. "Later, we will also announce the ticket sales for the Indonesia vs. Palestine friendly match in Surabaya on June 5," he remarked. In addition to playing against the Palestinian national team, currently ranked 93rd in the FIFA Men's World Ranking, Indonesia will also play a friendly match with Argentina, currently ranked first. The match against the champions of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is planned to be held at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium in Jakarta on June 19, 2023. The PSSI announced on Monday (May 29, 2023) at the GBK Main Stadium that ticket sales for the Indonesia vs. Argentina match would be opened on June 5, 2023, specifically for BRI customers. Meanwhile, the general public can buy tickets on June 6-7, 2023, through the PSSI official website. training camp is planned for the Indonesian national team starting from June 5, 2023, to prepare for the matches. The Indonesian national team's coach, Shin Tae-Yong, has invited 26 players to join the training camp: Edo Febriansyah Marc Klok Ricky Kambuaya Rachmat Irianto Reza Arya Pratama Yacob Sayuri Yance Sayuri Syahrul Trisna Andy Setyo Dimas Drajad Witan Sulaeman Rizky Ridho Dendy Sulistyawan Ernando Ari Fachruddin Aryanto Stefano Lilipaly Jordi Amat Saddil Ramdani Pratama Arhan Asnawi Mangkualam Sandy Walsh Shayne Pattynama Marselino Ferdinan Ivar Jenner Rafael Struick Elkan Baggott
Source: Antara News Agency