Indonesia meet AFC over federation poll

BANGKOK, Nov 5 (Reuters) An Indonesian delegation met with Asia's top soccer official today to discuss a way ahead for the country's beleaguered soccer federation.

The visit followed last week's demand by world governing body FIFA that Indonesia hold fresh elections for a new president after the incumbent, Nurdin Halid, was jailed for two years for corruption.

In April, Indonesia's soccer federation (PSSI) re-elected Halid, a prominent businessman and politician with the country's powerful Golkar party, in hastily-arranged polls not recognised by FIFA.

The PSSI said it had no plans to remove Halid from the post after the Supreme Court found him guilty of misusing 169 billion 18 million dollars belonging to a logistics company he headed.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed Bin Hammam said he was optimistic the PSSI would change its laws to fall in line with FIFA's statutes.

''The statutes of PSSI must be changed to suit what is being requested,'' he said in a statement. ''We would very much like to see model statutes for PSSI.'' Indonesia, who played at the 1938 World Cup finals as the Dutch East Indies, face Syria in their first 2010 qualifier on Friday.

REUTERS SSC RK2110