TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chairperson of PSSI Erick Thohir has ensured that the Indonesian U-23 national team will still be coached by Gerald Vanenburg in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers in September despite failing to bring home the trophy in the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup. However, the Dutch coach will not handle the team in this year's SEA Games.
Indonesia failed to clinch the AFF U-23 Cup title after losing 0-1 to Vietnam in the final at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (GBK), Jakarta, on Tuesday, July 28. The failure does not mean Gerald Vanenburg will be dismissed from his position.
Erick Thohir confirmed this after the match against Vietnam. "(For the coach in the 2025 SEA Games) We will discuss it with the national team organization. But for the AFC (2026 Asian Cup qualifiers), it's Gerald," he said.
In the upcoming September 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers, Indonesia will be the host. In Sidoarjo, under Vanenburg's guidance, the team will compete in Group J alongside South Korea, Laos, and Macau.
From the qualifying round, 11 group winners and the four best second-placed teams will play in the final round with host Saudi Arabia in January next year. In the previous edition in 2024, the team trained by Shin Tae-yong, known as Garuda Muda, reached the final in Qatar. They almost played in the Paris 2024 Olympics but failed to qualify after being defeated by Guinea U-23 in the playoff in Paris, France.
Vanenburg has led the U-23 national team in the AFF U-23 Cup five times. He has achieved three victories, scoring 10 goals while conceding two.
Erick is satisfied with the Dutch coach's performance in the five matches. "Good, I think it's good. It's just that the attacking line wasn't at its best. Several times they also tried to change the pattern from the right to the left. But sometimes it didn't work. Maybe this is something to be corrected for improvement," he said.
Vanenburg's Comment
Gerald Vanenburg has been informed that he will continue to lead the team for the Asian Cup qualifiers, but not for the 2025 SEA Games. He is ready to give his best. "I will try to win it. The SEA Games is not my task; that decision has been made, and I am fine with it," he said.
Vanenburg does not deny that his team still lacks sharpness. "If we talk about what we need to improve, we didn't score many goals. So, we have to think about how to score more goals. That's the question because our game and plan are actually okay," he said.
His team's homework is to increase sharpness. "But in football, you have to score goals. And in my opinion, we have to improve on that aspect, not just how we play. We only had a three-week preseason and played a few matches, and the results were quite good. One thing we have to think about is how to score goals," Vanenburg added.
Gerald Vanenburg also does not want to blame his players specifically for their lack of sharpness. "If I have something to say, I will say it directly to the players, not blame them in public. We win together and lose together; that's football," he said.
Editor's Choice: Indonesia Misses AFF U-23 Cup Title After 1-0 Loss to Vietnam in Final
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