Indonesia appears poised to exit the race to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the country’s government having failed to submit its backing of the bid ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Indonesia was the surprise entry for the FIFA showpiece in 2018 and 2022, and Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) deputy secretary general Dali Tahir has admitted the country’s chances of hosting the 2022 event are now extremely remote.

Japan, Australia, England, Russia and the United States, as well as joint-bids from the Netherlands and Belgium and also Spain and Portugal, are bidding for both 2018 and 2022. Indonesia, Qatar and South Korea are all bidding for 2022 only. Dali told The Jakarta Globe: “The guarantee letter is very important. Without backing from the government, Indonesia will be disqualified from the bidding process. If we don’t take the opportunity now, we’ll have to wait for another 20 years. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Minister of Youth and Sport Andi Alifian Mallarangeng are the key figures to make this bid happen. We plead to them. It’s not just a PSSI event, it’s a big event for Indonesians.”

Dali, who also serves on FIFA’s ethics committee, said the absence of an official letter to FIFA excludes the possibility of other options, including a joint bid. “FIFA has confirmed the 2022 World Cup will be held in Asia. Australia and Indonesia have a chance, but Australia doesn’t want to face us head-to-head,” he said. “They prefer to have us as a strategic ally. But without the guarantee letter, it’s impossible to join forces with Australia.”

Joko Driyono, vice-chairman of Indonesia’s bid committee, added: “We see the signs that the government won’t support the bid. We’ll continue the process to send a message that Indonesia can be an alternative to host other FIFA events, such as the (Under-20) World Cup. (The U-20 World Cup) runs parallel with the government’s priority to improve national football performance through youth development.”