Although Indonesia did not send the strongest team to participate in the ASEAN Cup 2024, being eliminated from the group stage, especially losing to Vietnam in the decisive match in Group B, is very difficult for the Indonesian team to swallow.
In the 29-year history of the Southeast Asian Championship, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia have all won the title, but only Indonesia has never won it. This defeat means that Indonesia will have to wait at least 2 more years for the glory. In the context of the Vietnamese team showing an upward trend after winning the championship, and Thailand still has the strength and wants to reclaim the throne, the chance for Indonesia is not necessarily high.
"In recent weeks, Shin Tae-yong has made several statements that may have upset the heads of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI). Erick Thohir, the head of the association, spoke very coldly in his farewell message to Shin. Thohir said he wanted a new head coach who would speak for everyone and who would communicate well with the players.
There were many conflicts between Mr. Shin and PSSI, leading to Mr. Thohir saying that Mr. Shin should focus on professional matters instead of talking too much on forums. When he failed, Mr. Shin said that because he had not gathered enough forces, the conflict may have come from this.
In the context that the Indonesian national team has a large number of naturalized players of Dutch origin, continuing to let Mr. Shin take charge could cause many problems within the team. Patrick Kluivert is Dutch, so communication will definitely be better in the future" - Commentator Quang Huy shared.
Whether Erick Thohir's decision to fire Shin Tae-yong and replace him with Patrick Kluivert was hasty or carefully calculated is an unanswered question. All will be clarified based on the performance of the Indonesian team in the coming time, especially in the final stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Erick Thohir was the President of Inter Milan with a quick, concise and decisive working style. Therefore, this decision about the coaching position of the "island country" team was also made in a short time.
"If Patrick Kluivert can help Indonesia make a comeback in the final stage of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, even reaching the play-off round, it will be a great success. On the contrary, if they fail after Shin Tae-yong has just had a few good results, Kluivert will have to take responsibility.
If Kluivert succeeds, Thohir will breathe a sigh of relief and vice versa. There are many discontented opinions in Indonesia about PSSI firing Shin Tae-yong, so the pressure on Kluivert this time is very great" - Commentator Quang Huy shared.
Currently, Indonesia is ranked 3rd in Group C of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia. They have 6 points after 6 matches and are only 1 point behind 2nd place Australia. The team leading the group is Japan with 16 points, so the match between Australia and Indonesia on March 20 is considered decisive for both teams.
