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'Kamsahamnida', Shin Tae-yong

Shin has played an instrumental role in building a team that can someday restore Indonesia’s reputation as a regional soccer powerhouse. 

Editorial board (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, January 11, 2025

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'Kamsahamnida', Shin Tae-yong Indonesia's South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong salutes the fans after the U23 AFC Qatar 2024 Asian Cup third-place match between Iraq and Indonesia at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha on May 2, 2024. (AFP/Karim Jaafar)

T

he Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has decided to terminate its contract with Shin Tae-yong at a time when the national team needed the Midas touch from the South Korean coach to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals.

PSSI boss Erick Thohir has also confirmed the appointment of former Barcelona and Dutch international striker Patrick Kluivert as a replacement for fan favorite Shin, who has been in charge of the Garuda boys for the last five years.

Several observers have expressed curiosity about the motives behind the PSSI’s New Year surprise, while others have highlighted concerns about the national team’s prospects of reaching the dream of the World Cup finals for the first time without Shin.

With the top-two teams in each of the three Asia qualification groups securing tickets to the World Cup finals, Indonesia still has a chance to make an appearance in the most coveted tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year, even if it finishes fourth in the group. The teams that finish third and fourth will play a series of playoff matches for two World Cup berths.

Shin has given Indonesia a ray of hope especially after the national team beat regular World Cup finalist Saudi Arabia 2-0 in November. Under him, Indonesia now ranks third in the Asia qualifying round with four matches in hand against Australia away, Bahrain and China at home and Japan away.

There is no doubt about Shin’s track record. The South Korean led the Indonesian team to the Asia Cup finals in 2023, and the ASEAN Football Federation final in 2020, among other achievements filling his CV as Indonesian team coach.

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Even Erick commended Shin as one of the best coaches the country has hired. On the other hand, Kluivert has a thin resume as manager. His managerial job at the Turkish side Adana Demirspor lasted only six months in 2023 and Curacao, the native country of his mother, is the only national squad he had overseen before he accepted Erick’s offer.

There is certainly a yawning gap in achievements between the two, but Kluivert has won the confidence of the PSSI, and perhaps the team, which Shin had lost. Some have speculated that a lack of mutual trust between Shin and the Indonesian squad, which is now dominated by naturalized players of Dutch origin, prompted the PSSI to show Shin the door. 

One of the naturalized players recalled Shin’s reluctance to discuss, let alone debate, with his team his tactics and the way they should play the game. Another player said the rift in the changing room had begun ahead of the match against China in Beijing last October, which Indonesia lost 1-2.

“Indeed, solidity between the coach, players and PSSI matters,” Erick said when announcing Shin’s dismissal on Monday.

Kluivert’s entry to the team is therefore expected to solve the non-technical issues that may hinder Indonesia’s quest to qualify for the World Cup. The former Dutch star, who will be introduced to Indonesian soccer fans on Sunday, has set a personal target of helping Indonesia fulfill its ambition.

Reaching the World Cup finals is a tall order for any national team coach or manager. If Indonesia under Kluivert realizes its dream, the nation cannot simply forget Shin’s contribution and sacrifice (especially when his side dashed South Korea’s hope of qualifying for the Olympic Games last year).

Shin has played an instrumental role in building a team that can someday restore Indonesia’s reputation as a regional soccer powerhouse. The new manager inherits valuable capital that extends beyond the 2026 World Cup.

As we thank Shin for his legacy to Indonesian soccer, we wish Kluivert luck.

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