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Five Roma players denied entry to Indonesia on tour

Roma striker Gervinho
Image: Former Arsenal man Gervinho was one of the five Roma players turned away at the airport

Five Roma players will miss Saturday's friendly match in Jakarta after they were refused entry to Indonesia and forced to fly home.

The team touched down in the capital on the island of Java on Friday evening for the first visit to Indonesia in the Serie A club's history but ran into trouble at customs, Roma chief executive Italo Zanzi said.

Seydou Doumbia, Gervinho, Victor Ibarbo, Adem Ljajic and Antonio Sanabria were denied entry by immigration officials at Jakarta's international airport and later boarded a flight to Rome.

Zanzi said it was "very frustrating" the footballers would not be able to join the rest of the squad for Saturday's friendly match between two teams of Roma players.

"It's a real disappointment for us, given that we've made a substantial effort to be here," he was quoted as saying on the club's website.

"It's not a positive thing for the players, for the club - who did everything that we were asked to do - but, most importantly, for the Indonesian fans because they are why we are here."

It was not immediately clear why the players were stopped from entering the country and Indonesian authorities are yet to comment.

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