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View all search resultsRed card for politicians
Recent failures can be attributed to years of mismanagement of the national team by the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), whose officials are apparently more focused on politics off the pitch rather than the advancement of the sport itself.
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Indonesia's wingers Thom Haye (left) and Beckham Putra (right) react after their defeat to Vietnam in the Group A match of the ASEAN Championship 2026 at the Pakansari Stadium in Bogor regency, West Java on Aug. 3, 2026. Vietnam beat Indonesia 3-0. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S.)
I
t has been barely a month since the euphoria, and sometimes rage and confusion, of the World Cup 2026 in North America subsided. Yet, Indonesian soccer fans are already in despair again.
The anguish has come from the national men’s soccer team, which failed to advance to the semifinals of this year’s ASEAN Championship, formerly known as the AFF Cup. Despite entering the regional tournament as a team that had reached the fourth round of World Cup qualification, the team managed wins against Cambodia and Timor-Leste, before suffering a defeat by Vietnam and only sing a draw against Singapore.
This year’s early exit from the competition marked Indonesia’s second back-to-back group stage elimination in the competition, prolonging the wait for at least another two years before the team can chase again its first ASEAN trophy.
Fans and pundits were quick to blame Indonesia head coach John Herdman for his questionable lineup selection and rigid tactics, as well as nervousness among the players, for the lackluster performance in the ASEAN Championship.
But in the bigger scheme of things, the exit from the regional competition can be attributed to years of mismanagement of the national team by the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), whose officials are apparently more focused on politics off the pitch rather than the advancement of the sport itself.
For years, the PSSI’s leadership has been contested by various politicians with ambitions to use the federation that runs one of the most popular sports in the country as capital for their political ambitions. Internal conflicts between the politicians in the PSSI have resulted in sanctions from world soccer body FIFA, which have hurt Indonesia’s progress in the sport.
Management of the teams also often comes in second, causing mishandling that sacrifices the interests of players and fans.
