We need to respect the efforts of the national team. Everyone can freely criticize and criticize PSSI or the president of the federation, the general secretary. We accept that.
However, the most important thing is not to criticize players and coaches. That is the future of our football. These children still have a lot of potential to develop," Indonesian press quoted PSSI Secretary-General Yunus Nusi as saying.
The statement was made in the context that the Indonesian team is under great pressure after being eliminated in the group stage of the ASEAN Cup 2026. Mr. Yunus Nusi, on behalf of the Federation, apologized to domestic fans for not being able to bring about the expected results.
Also according to Mr. Nusi, PSSI will have comprehensive assessments to dissect the causes of failure. This general secretary affirmed that he always conducts these assessments in all tournaments, whether the Indonesian team wins or loses.
Notably, PSSI did not immediately speak up after the 1-1 draw with Singapore 3 days ago. The Indonesian team entered the final round with the requirement to win to win a semi-final spot, but could only score the opening goal thanks to Ragnar Oratmangoen before being equalized by Ilhan Fandi.
Previously, the Indonesian team had a favorable start when they defeated Cambodia and Timor-Leste. However, the 0-3 defeat to Vietnam and the draw with Singapore caused the archipelago team to be eliminated.
Pressure from Indonesian fans spread on social networks. Many opinions questioned the operation of the team, the capacity of the coaching staff and the performance of the players. Most of the criticism focused on head coach John Herdman and the group of naturalized players.
