Indonesian team leader apologizes

President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) - Mr. Erick Thohir - apologized to fans for not being able to win tickets to the 2026 World Cup.

Mr. Erick Thohir apologized to Indonesian fans. Photo: Reuters .

On the morning of October 12, the Indonesian team officially said goodbye to the 2026 World Cup dream after a 0-1 defeat to Iraq in the second match of Group B, the fourth qualifying round of the Asian region. A few days earlier, "Garuda" also lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia.

In a message posted on his personal page, Mr. Thohir sent his gratitude to the players, coaching staff and fans for accompanying the team on this historic journey. He wrote: “Thank you to the fans, players and the team for their tireless efforts to bring Indonesia to the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. This is the first time in history that we have gone this far."

The PSSI President also expressed regret at not being able to win a ticket to the biggest festival on the planet next year, even though Indonesia has just experienced a journey considered "miraculous".

Erick Thohir is a great contributor to the improvement of the Indonesian national team, especially through the naturalization project to increase the strength of the “Garuda”. However, those efforts are still not enough to help Indonesian football continue to write miracles on the world stage.

This defeat ends Indonesia's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, but fans still expect the progress of the archipelago's football to continue in upcoming tournaments.

U23 Indonesia's thrilling victory over Thailand On the night of July 25, Indonesia tied Thailand 1-1 in 120 minutes, then won 7-6 in the penalty shootout in the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian tournament.

Source: https://znews.vn/lanh-dao-tuyen-indonesia-xin-loi-post1592931.html