PETALING JAYA: South Korean Shin Tae-yong’s position as Indonesia’s head coach was unshakeable until the AFF Cup.
But after exiting the group stages of the tournament, the South Korean has been axed and will play no part in the future of the Garudas anymore.
The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) president Erick Thohir announced Tae-yong’s sacking yesterday and said the national team needed a change in leadership to see them through the remaining matches in the 2026 World Cup third-round qualifiers.
“We see the need for a leader who can better implement the strategies agreed upon by the players,” he said in a press conference in Jakarta.
“We will overcome all shortcomings because the target is the World Cup.
Erick said they wanted to sack him after their 1-2 defeat against China in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in October but felt that the decision was too close and could disrupt the stability of the team.
PSSI will announce the new coach on Jan 12.
“We believe that two and a half months is sufficient time for the new coach to prepare the team,” said Erick.
According to sources in Europe, legendary Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert will be the new head coach, with prominent European football writer Fabrizio Romano claiming that he will sign a two-year deal with Indonesia.
The 48-year-old was the head coach of Curacao from 2015-2016. He was also Holland’s assistant coach from 2012 to 2014 under Louis van Gaal, who was also linked to the Indonesian job. The other Dutch name linked is Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
The new coach’s first assignment would be the World Cup 2026 third-round qualifiers Group C game against Australia at the Sydney Football Stadium on March 20.
Tae-yong’s exit was not well received by the Indonesian public, who felt he was doing a good job, especially in the qualifiers.
Indonesia are currently third in the group with six points from six matches, just a point behind second-placed Australia. They have four more games left, so the aim is to finish top two and qualify for the World Cup.
A week ago, Tae-yong, who took over the reins in 2019, said the AFF Cup exit should not be seen negatively, saying that the future looked bright for the nation.
“Compared to other national teams, our team had an average age of only 20.5 years old. They did their best in the matches, and I am very grateful for that,” he said.
“Although we were eliminated in the group stages, I believe we will rise much higher,” he said on his social media pages.
Tae-yong’s journey now ends as Indonesia look to go for a final push with a new leader to fulfil their dream of getting to the biggest stage.
