Former Chelsea players Michael Essien and Carlton Cole have been banned from playing for Persib Bandung after making their debuts.
The pair were not registered to play until they receive work permits and are now facing the prospect of jail.
Breaking Indonesia immigration law carries a possible five-year prison sentence.
The pair joined Persib last month but haven’t yet received the necessary documentation required to play in the division.
As reported by AFP, the immigration chief in the city of Bandung, Maulia Purnamawati, said: “As of Tuesday, April 18 2017, Persib Bandung have not applied for a permanent residency permit, the visitor’s permit is for a limited time.
“They are professionals so they must hold a permit to perform activities in Indonesia.
“Today we gave a strong warning to Persib in the form of a letter saying that as long as Persib had not completed the permits, which should be issued by the labour ministry, we are banning Essien and Cole from playing.”
Essien and Cole have both made one appearance for the club so far, which came in the goalless draw against Arema last weekend, but now must wait until they are able to feature again.
Persib said that they will abide by the ban as they attempt to obtain the permits. The club also said that they sought to process the paperwork before Essien and Cole’s first match on Saturday. The permits were not ready in time, but the football association and league organiser gave the players permission to be involved.
Club manager Umuh Muchtar responded to the ban: “That they are here is a joy for us, they want to raise up Indonesia’s name in the world.
“Everybody knows that Essien is a world-class player, not an illegal immigrant.”
According to Goal, Persib will attempt to resolve the situation before any jail term is handed out.
Liga 1 in Indonesia replaces the previous league, which was halted two years ago due to a row between the government and the Indonesian FA.
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