Coach Shin Tae Yong makes a surprising return as South Korea suffers a 0-5 defeat to Indonesia

Coach Shin Tae Yong was seen present during Indonesia futsal’s crushing win against South Korea at the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship.

Indonesia’s futsal team delivered an impressive performance against South Korea by securing a commanding 5-0 victory in the opening match of Group A at the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship. The goals for Indonesia were scored by Mochammad Iqbal with a brace, along with strikes from Rio Pangestu, Israr Megantara, and Reza Gunawan.

Notably, this match drew attention due to a special moment featuring the presence of former Indonesia national team head coach, Shin Tae Yong. The South Korean tactician appeared in the VIP stands at the Indonesia Arena. After the match concluded, Shin Tae Yong received enthusiastic applause from the Indonesian fans present.

When the camera focused on him and his image appeared on the big screen, the 1969-born coach stood up and waved back to the fans’ affection.

Shin Tae Yong’s presence at this game also attracted interest from South Korean media. It is reported that he has been in Jakarta since last week, with plans to attend several tournaments, observe football academies, and launch his autobiography.

Coach Shin Tae Yong officially took charge of Indonesia’s national team in December 2019 and quickly embarked on a challenging journey. Despite facing many early difficulties, the Korean strategist gradually made a significant impact, helping elevate Indonesian football regionally and continentally.

Under Shin Tae Yong’s leadership, Indonesia’s U23 team reached the semifinals of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship for the first time ever. At the senior level, Garuda made waves by advancing from the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup into the round of 16 and became the only Southeast Asian representative to reach the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, internal issues and underwhelming results at the 2024 AFF Cup led to the end of his tenure with Indonesian football.

The moment Shin Tae Yong’s name was announced at Indonesia Arena came after Indonesian fans showed respect to the South Korean futsal team.

As the South Korean players bowed to the audience, from a section of the stands, Indonesian supporters chanted “Korea… Korea… Korea…”. The South Korean players responded with rounds of applause and respectful bows.

The resounding win over South Korea lifted Indonesia’s futsal team to the top of Group A with 3 points. The Southeast Asian side ranked above Iraq due to a superior goal difference, while Iraq held second place with the same points.