Indonesia may use reserve team to compete in AFF Cup

According to Indonesian press, coach Shin Tae-yong and the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) are not ruling out the possibility of bringing the B team to the AFF Cup 2024. The reason Mr. Shin gave is that the competition time at the AFF Cup 2024 is very close to the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

Specifically, the 2024 AFF Cup will take place from November 23 to December 21. Meanwhile, the 2026 World Cup 3 qualifiers will take place according to FIFA Days, with the November matches taking place in the middle of the month, only about 3 to 4 days before the AFF Cup.

The Indonesian team is the only Southeast Asian representative who is close to the threshold of the 2026 World Cup 3rd qualifying round because it is 4 points ahead of the next team (Vietnam). This is the first time Indonesia has entered the 3rd qualifying round of the World Cup, so Mr. Shin Tae-yong wants to focus on this playground, instead of the AFF Cup.

Coach Shin Tae-yong

"The issue of forming two teams (one team to play in the World Cup qualifiers, the other team to play in the AFF Cup) or still using only one team, we will probably discuss with PSSI," coach Shin Tae-yong affirmed. After Indonesia officially enters the third qualifying round, Mr. Shin and PSSI will have a meeting to finalize the plan for the last 6 months of the year. Here, the Korean coach will agree on whether to use the strongest squad for the AFF Cup or not.

Responding to a question about Indonesia's ambition to win the AFF Cup, Mr. Shin said: "Honestly, I don't know how to answer. However, for me, the Asian Cup is definitely bigger than the AFF Cup. The Indonesian team is trying to move forward to see bigger things like the Asian Cup or the World Cup, not just the AFF Cup."

Because the AFF Cup 2024 is not part of the FIFA competition schedule, the Indonesian team will be missing many key players such as Rafael Struick, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Justin Hubner, Jordi Amat, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Ivar Jenner, Maarten Paes...

Coach Shin Tae-yong is likely to use young players like Pratama Arhan, Marselino Ferdinan, Asnawi Mangkualam, but it is not simple, because some names are also playing abroad, so it is uncertain to participate in the early stages of the group stage.

However, coach Shin Tae-yong is still confident in Indonesia's chances of advancing: "Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are the teams with the potential to reach the semi-finals."

The Indonesian team is in Group B of the 2024 AFF Cup with Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos. Coach Shin Tae-yong and his team will compete with Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium on November 30, in the second round.

Under coach Shin Tae-yong, the Indonesian team won the runner-up position at the 2020 AFF Cup and reached the semi-finals of the 2022 AFF Cup.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-shin-tae-yong-indonesia-co-the-dung-doi-hinh-phu-dau-aff-cup-185240529160840323.htm