Long-term preparation
After a long period of declining performance in Southeast Asia, Indonesian football has begun investing in a generation of talented young players aiming for regional and international success. First, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) appointed coach Shin Tae-yong to lead the national team, U23, and U20 in 2020. The arrival of the South Korean coach has somewhat changed the face of Indonesian football as he boldly overhauled almost the entire national team by trusting many young players in major tournaments such as the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers, and the 2022 AFF Cup. Among the 20 Indonesian players for the 32nd SEA Games, 10 are national team players, with Rizky Ridho, Alfeandra Dewangga, Pratama Arhan, and Witan Sulaeman becoming indispensable elements in the framework of the U22 team coached by Indra Sjafri. These are the players who previously played in the Indonesian U.22 team at the 31st SEA Games under coach Shin Tae-yong.
These young players will help Indonesian football become a formidable force in the region.
During his time managing the U.23 and U.20 teams, coach Shin Tae-yong had a long-term and meticulous plan, including training camps in South Korea and Europe to give young players experience and prepare them for the U.20 World Cup scheduled to start in May this year. However, Indonesia's loss of the right to host the U.20 World Cup inadvertently became an opportunity for coach Indra Sjafri to have more options for young talents for the 32nd SEA Games. Names from the Indonesian U.20 team such as Marselino Ferdinan, Ramadhan Sananta, Ananda Raehan, Fajar Fathur Rahman, and Muhammad Ferarri all shone at the SEA Games. Ferdinan, the 18-year-old midfielder playing for KMSK Deinze in Belgium, was the inspiration behind the Indonesian U.22 team's attacking play, contributing two goals; while Fajar (5 goals) and Sananta (4 goals) also became a nightmare for any defense. In particular, according to Antara news agency, the success of the Indonesian U.22 team and the creation of a "golden generation" owes a great deal to the clubs in the three top national leagues, as these young players are given opportunities to play regularly.
The Indonesian team will be very formidable.
Indonesian media have highly praised the tactical prowess and deep understanding of Indonesian football of coach Indra Sjafri, who is currently the Technical Director of PSSI. Not only did he improve the cohesion in play and the never-give-up spirit – weaknesses of the Indonesian U22 team in recent years – but Coach Indra Sjafri also maximized the potential of reserve players such as Irfan Jauhari, Jeam Kelly Sroyer, and Beckham Putra... to help the Indonesian U22 team finish this SEA Games with an impressive record, winning all 6 matches, scoring 21 goals and conceding only 5.
At the 2023 Asian Cup finals, taking place early next year in Qatar, the Indonesian national team is in Group D along with Vietnam, Japan, and Iraq. It is highly likely that the Indonesian team will rely on key players from the U22 team that recently won the SEA Games 32 men's football championship, such as goalkeeper Ernando Ari, defenders Rizky Ridho and Pratama Arhan, midfielders Alfeandra Dewangga and Witan Sulaeman, along with promising young stars like Marselino Ferdinand, Ramadhan Sananta, and Muhammad Ferrari. These players have matured under coach Shin Tae-yong after gaining experience with the national team in numerous international tournaments over the past three years. Therefore, without good preparation, the Vietnamese team under coach Troussier will face a difficult challenge.
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