New U23 Indonesia Coach Shares Surprising Opinion on SEA Games

Indra Sjafri, the coach of U23 Indonesia, affirms that the current group of players is better than the one that secured the SEA Games 2023 title.

The U23 Indonesia coach for the 2025 SEA Games, Indra Sjafri, believes that the quality of players now surpasses that of the squad which earned the gold medal in 2023.

Indra Sjafri has been officially appointed as the head coach of the U23 Indonesia team for the 2025 SEA Games, scheduled in Thailand from December 9 to 20.

Currently, Coach Indra Sjafri has compiled a list of 50 players for the U23 Indonesia squad participating in the 2025 SEA Games. Among them, 32 players will be called up for the first training phase starting October 3.

He believes that the current U23 Indonesian players are of higher quality compared to the team that triumphed at the 2023 SEA Games.

He also expressed gratitude to the Super League organizers, PT I.League, for implementing regulations requiring clubs to field U23 players.

“Therefore, in this case, I thank LIB (PT I.League) for enforcing the rule that U23 players must participate in matches, allowing them to gain valuable experience.

This is not to boast but to show optimism that, in my view, the current players are of better quality than those from the 2023 SEA Games team,” Indra added.

Regarding his decision to return as U23 Indonesia coach, Indra Sjafri shared: “Why did I accept the role again? Because this is fundamentally my job as a coach,”the Indonesian strategist began.""“The answer is that this is a national duty. If I wanted comfort, I could have stopped at the historic milestone of ending the 32-year wait for a gold medal, where I became a hero. But since this is a mission entrusted by the country through PSSI, I am ready to dedicate myself regardless of the outcome.”

Previously, PSSI appointed Dutch coach Gerald Vanenburg to lead the domestic U23 team. However, under his leadership, U23 Indonesia’s results were disappointing, losing the final of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and failing to qualify for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

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