Finally, China admits that the current tough team in Indonesia
Finally, China admits that the current tough team is Indonesia. The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has been actively recruiting diaspora players, which has made rival teams in the ASEAN region envious. These players of descent who have become or are in the process of becoming Indonesian citizens are highly qualified and have great potential. Most of them come from the Netherlands, a country with a strong football culture. As a result, Indonesia is now being referred to as the “super KW Dutch team”. With the addition of these players, Indonesia’s squad has a European feel and is considered an ASEAN team with great potential, which has gained attention in the media.
China has recognized Indonesia’s progress in football and considers them a serious threat to other major Asian teams. In the past, the Indonesian national team was not highly regarded in the Asian region, especially when compared to Thailand and Vietnam. However, the recruitment of quality players by PSSI and Kosin management has changed this perception, and they deserve appreciation for it. With the current squad, Indonesia is capable of competing against the big teams in the Asian Cup. Furthermore, if the Indonesian squad were to be filled with grade A diaspora players, it would be even better. This is how Indonesian football has improved greatly and left Muji media behind, which used to be sluggish. China was surprised by Timas Indonesia’s rapid development and praised them ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match in the Asian zone between Indonesia and Vietnam.
Chinese media online, 163.com, recently reviewed the strength of the Garuda squad, praising their remarkable performance. They believe that Vietnam or Thailand are no longer in a position to beat Indonesia with relative ease like they did during 2018-2022. The media also mentioned Zeng Cheng, who was the goalkeeper for Persebaya Surabaya when he was 20 years old. According to them, Indonesian football has improved significantly over the years. The credit for this improvement cannot be separated from the leadership of Shinteong, who has been in charge of the Indonesian National Team since December 2019. Under his guidance, the Indonesian National Team’s FIFA ranking has improved from 160th to 142nd, and he was able to lead Indonesia to qualify for the top 6 of the Asian Cup. It is worth noting that there have also been some mistakes made in the past. Comparing Indonesia to the past, they were the first team in Asia to participate in the World Cup under the name Dutch East Indies.
Football has been deeply ingrained in Indonesian culture for a long time. However, the Indonesian team has never received the highest appreciation and was even considered the weakest group in the region back in 2005. Zeng Cheng, a goalkeeper who couldn’t find a place in China at that time, became the main force of the Surabaya club on loan. This exemplifies how weak the football level was in Indonesia at that time. However, Indonesia’s football level has improved significantly in the last few years since Pati Sinintaong took office in 2020. As a result, the ranking of the Indonesian team has risen by 30 places. Furthermore, they made it to the round of 16 for the first time in the 2023 Asian Cup.
Indonesian football is experiencing significant growth, according to Cina1663.com. Sohu, another Chinese media outlet, predicts that Indonesia could soon pose a threat to other major Asian teams. Within the ASEAN region, Indonesia is expected to surpass Thailand and Vietnam, which are currently considered the two strongest teams. The Indonesian national team is now home to many high-quality players from Europe, and should not be underestimated. Powerful countries in Asia, including China, should pay attention to Indonesian football. This is because Southeast Asian football usually has one or two unexpected teams that perform exceptionally well in continental tournaments. In the past, Thailand and Vietnam have been those unexpected teams, but the Indonesian national team may become a superpower in ASEAN in the future.
Even media outlets in Asia, such as Sohu, have reported on the recent actions taken by the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI). It is worth acknowledging that PSSI’s move has garnered attention from various parties. It is not surprising, as no one would have expected Indonesia to make such a breakthrough. The diaspora players that were brought in were of high quality and potential, which makes the move even more impressive. As for the local players who are still complaining, it is important to remember that the diaspora players also have Indonesian blood or lineage, which gives them the right to defend the Indonesian National Team just as much as any other player.”
playing in the Indonesian League where you can’t differentiate between the ball and the head, so there is an element of compartmentalization, essentially as long as they have Indonesian roots and are of good quality, it’s as simple as that, so this is also to raise the level of Indonesian play so that they hope to be able to compete with the strong teams in Asia, yes, in the end. Now we just hope that in the match against Vietnam, Indonesia can sweep away the victory so that in June we can see that Indonesia can play with the best composition against Iraq and the Philippines.
