“Before the tournament, I stated that Indonesia’s goal in the 2024 ASEAN Cup was to give our all,” Thohir said after the team’s group-stage exit on Saturday. “And with the effort we put in, along with the available coaching staff and players, we should have made it to the semifinals. Therefore, we will conduct a review.”
Erick Thohir (L), President of the Football Association of Indonesia, and coach Shin Tae-yong. Photo by PSSI |
Indonesia fielded a U21+2 squad for the 2024 ASEAN Cup, comprising 24 players born in 2003 or later. They narrowly defeated hosts Myanmar in their opening match, drew with Laos, and lost their final two matches against Vietnam and the Philippines.
Shin Tae-yong’s team could have advanced to the semifinals with a draw against the Philippines at home on Dec. 21, but they lost after being reduced to 10 players.
Thohir asserted that Indonesia’s capabilities in this tournament were sufficient to beat Myanmar, Laos, and the Philippines, losing only to Vietnam.
“With a young squad, losing to Vietnam is understandable,” the PSSI president said. “But our exit should at least come in the semifinals; only then can we say that we have tried our best.”
Thohir emphasized that evaluating the coaching staff after a tournament is standard practice and hinted that coach Shin would not be sacked.
“Assistant coach Nova Arianto and coach Shin will certainly be reviewed,” the former Inter Milan president added. “Their contracts stipulate that such evaluations are conducted after every tournament. I don’t want to make mistakes, as success stems from solid processes, good coaches, and talented players.”
This marks the third time coach Shin has led the team in the ASEAN Cup, previously known as the AFF Cup, with progressively worse results. In 2020, Indonesia reached the final but lost to Thailand. In the following edition, they lost 0-2 to Vietnam in the two-legged semifinals. This time, Shin’s team were eliminated in the group stage, finishing third.
Coach Shin retains support due to Indonesia’s strong performance in the 2026 World Cup third qualifiers. After six matches, Indonesia are third in their group, just one point behind second-placed Australia. According to the regulations, the top two teams will directly qualify for the World Cup finals, while the third and fourth teams advance to the fourth qualifiers.
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