Coach Indra Sjafri will take the hot seat, replacing Mr. Donald Vanenburg - who has lost the trust after a series of unconvincing achievements.
PSSI Vice President - Mr. Zainudin Amali - said that the appointment of Indra Sjafri was based on many practical bases. Mr. Sjafri once brought home the SEA Games gold medal for Indonesia in Cambodia in 2023.
In addition, his long experience in youth training helps him become the most suitable choice at the present time, Mr. Amali affirmed.
Indra Sjafri is a familiar face in Indonesian football. He has been involved with the U19 and U23 teams for many years, and has also played the role of Technical Director of PSSI.
In his coaching career, he has brought the Indonesian football many notable titles such as 2 Southeast Asian U19 championships (2013, 2024), 2019 U23 Southeast Asian championship, along with a gold medal and a silver medal at the SEA Games.
The 61-year-old strategist's biggest advantage is his deep understanding of domestic players - a particularly important factor when the 33rd SEA Games does not fall into the FIFA Days schedule, making it difficult for the team to call up forces from abroad.
Meanwhile, Dutch coach Donald Vanenburg had a year to forget. He only took the Indonesian U23 team to the runner-up position in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament after losing to Vietnam U23 in the final.
In the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers, his team also stopped early when they only won 4 points after 3 matches, including a disappointing 0-0 draw against Laos.
The contract between PSSI and Vanenburg is valid until 2026, but with a series of poor results, the future of this coach in Indonesia is becoming uncertain.
