Indonesian national soccer team head coach Tae Yong Shin has publicly thanked Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) President Eric Tohir for agreeing to play Argentina in the June A match.
Shin’s side will play two home games against Palestine and Argentina during the June A matches. The most anticipated match against Argentina, the 2022 메이저사이트FIFA Qatar World Cup champions, is scheduled for June 19 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
Many are surprised to see Indonesia, ranked outside the top 100 in the FIFA rankings, playing a match against the world champions. Considering that Asia’s top two nations, South Korea and Japan, worked together to bring in Peru and El Salvador, the mere fact that Indonesia was able to secure a matchup with Argentina is significant.
Shin echoed that sentiment and expressed his gratitude. In a video interview with Indonesian media outlet AnTVClick.com, Shin said, “I’m happy that we’re playing a strong team on FIFA Match Day, and it’s a very important match to test Indonesia’s strengths. And Argentina are the world champions. Their squad is full of star players,” he said of his opponent for the second leg.
“I want to thank President Tohir for finally bringing Argentina to Palestine. Tohir is great,” he said, praising the resourcefulness of the Indonesian Football Association president.
“We really need to play against big teams to develop Indonesian football. I will do my best to play against Palestine and Argentina. I will do my best to help Indonesian soccer develop further. Thank you again. I am very grateful to Mr. Tohir,” he said, thanking the president of the Indonesian Football Association for organizing such a big game.
As Shin mentioned, these two A matches will be a great experience for Indonesia. Win or lose, the game against a “top-tier” team in Argentina will serve as a barometer of what the players need to work on as they prepare to qualify for the 2023 AFC Qatar Asian Cup next January.
Tohir, the man who organized the Argentina game, is a familiar name to European soccer fans. A former owner of Italian giants Inter Milan, he was elected president of the Indonesian Football Association in January 2023. He is currently working with Shin to shape the future of Indonesian soccer.