According to Bola newspaper, Coach Kapadze is almost the new captain of the Indonesian national team. This coach is in Jakarta and is about to sign a 2-year contract with the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI).
Coach Kapadze was successful when leading the Uzbekistan team (Photo: UFA).
Although no official announcement has been made, the former Uzbekistan coach is becoming the focus of the search for a new captain for Garudu (the nickname of the Indonesian team), succeeding coach Patrick Kluivert.
Briefly sharing with the media, he confirmed that he had received contact from PSSI but refused to reveal the identity of the person who worked directly with him. “I follow the development of Indonesian football. They were very close to the 2026 World Cup ticket and still have a young squad with great potential,” said coach Kapadze.
PSSI has not yet announced the shortlist, but the chairman of the national team committee, Mr. Sumardji, said that there are 5 candidates under consideration. Coach Kapadze's sudden presence in Jakarta has made Indonesian public opinion believe that the race for the hot seat of Garuda is about to end.
Coach Kapadze helped the Uzbekistan team qualify for the 2026 World Cup for the first time with an unbeaten record (5 wins, 3 draws), won the 2025 Central Asian Cup and led the Uzbekistan U23 team to the 2024 Olympics.
Indonesian media assessed that coach Kapadze has many similarities with former coach Shin Tae Yong, who created the foundation for Indonesian football development in the period 2019-2024. Both prefer to give opportunities to young players and use tactical systems with three central defenders.
Coach Kapadze is known for his modern tactical style (Photo: Getty).
Under Shin, Indonesia stuck to the 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 formations, which required wing-backs to work hard. However, since Patrick Kluivert took over, the team has switched to a 4-3-3 and gradually moved away from its old identity. If Kapadze takes the hot seat, Indonesia will likely return to the familiar three-center-back model.
However, there are still clear differences between the two coaches. While coach Shin emphasizes compactness and defensive organization, coach Kapadze is known for his proactive attacking style, quick transitions and strong pressing.
In 256 days leading the Uzbekistan team, coach Kapadze did not lose a single match. The team scored 13 goals and only conceded 5. The playing style that coach Kapadze built is considered more flexible and difficult to predict than the time of coach Shin Tae Yong, thanks to the diverse attacking tactics and the ability to maintain balance when switching to defense.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/lo-dien-tan-hlv-truong-doi-tuyen-indonesia-20251121200738235.htm
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