Coach Shin Tae-yong dreams of taking Indonesia to the 2026 World Cup

" We are building a good team. In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Indonesian team is in the same group as Iraq, Vietnam and the Philippines. I am confident in helping the team enter the next qualifying round ," coach Shin Tae-yong shared.

In an interview with Best Eleven, coach Shin Tae-yong commented: " I hope to be able to enter the third qualifying round. The chance is about 70 to 80%. As for the 2023 Asian Cup, we have a 50% chance of going on ."

The Indonesian team is in the same group with Vietnam and Iraq in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup. The remaining opponents in these two tournaments are the Philippines and Japan respectively.

Coach Shin Tae-yong is confident of helping Indonesia pass the second qualifying round and aim for the 2026 World Cup. (Photo: PSSI)

The 2026 World Cup will increase the total number of participating teams to 48, so Asia will have 8.5 places. Coach Shin Tae-yong believes that the chance of reaching the world football finals with the Indonesian team will be brighter.

" Since there are 8.5 spots, we have to try to get through the second qualifying round. In the third qualifying round, the top two teams from Groups A, B and C will qualify for the World Cup. I think it wouldn't be bad if the third or fourth-placed team tries to compete for the remaining 2.5 spots ," said Shin Tae-yong.

Mr. Shin Tae-yong signed a contract with the Indonesian Football Federation at the end of 2019. The former coach of the Korean national team is responsible for leading all three teams: U19, U22 and the national team.

Mr. Shin Tae-yong has gradually created a new generation of talented players for Indonesian football. The most impressive achievement is the runner-up position in the AFF Cup 2020 (held in 2021 in Singapore). In addition, the archipelago team jumped from 175th to 145th place. This coach believes that he is on the right track and will aim for higher goals.

" I brought the Indonesian team to 145th place and felt that was an achievement. Now, I am confident enough to try, aiming for the 2024 Olympics and the 2026 World Cup. That is the motivation for me ," Mr. Shin shared.

Regarding the 2023 Asian Cup, Mr. Shin said: " Perhaps Indonesia will be the dark horse of the tournament. The disadvantage of the players is that they are immersed in the feeling of failure instead of improving their skills. Many naturalized players help the team eliminate that shortcoming. Therefore, Indonesia will become a more fearsome team than before ."

This November, Indonesia will face two teams in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, Iraq (November 16) and the Philippines (November 21).

Hoai Duong

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