AFP, Jakarta :
A Indonesian striker playing in one of the country’s top leagues has died after a goalkeeper kicked him in the stomach during a recent match, an official said Tuesday.
The death of Akli Fairuz, 27, is a further blow to the reputation of Indonesian football, which has been beset by numerous problems in recent years, from leadership tussles to foreign players dying after complaining of going unpaid.
Fairuz sustained serious injuries after the challenge during a game on May 10 in Banda Aceh, on western Sumatra island, said Mahfudin Nigara from the Indonesian Football Association.
Video footage showed the player, from club Persiraja Banda Aceh, run into the box of the opposing team, PSAP Sigli, to take a shot after the ball rebounded off the goalkeeper.
But the goalkeeper ran out and kicked him in the stomach as he took the shot, knocking him to the ground.
Akli was substituted immediately but continued to watch the match and was only rushed to hospital later when his condition worsened, Nigara said.
