Hargo.co.id – Shin Tae-yong is deemed to have elevated the level of the Indonesia national team. Besides qualifying for the Round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup, the coach has also successfully improved Indonesia’s position in the FIFA ranking.
Shin Tae-yong was appointed as Indonesia’s coach in early 2020. At that time, the South Korean coach had two crucial tasks.
Firstly, he was to lead Indonesia as the host of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. However, Indonesia eventually lost its hosting rights. Secondly, he was tasked with achieving success with the senior Indonesia team.
So far, Shin Tae-yong hasn’t secured any trophies with the Indonesia national team. Nonetheless, during Shin Tae-yong’s tenure, there has been a fairly positive increase in the FIFA ranking. Let’s delve into the details below, Bolaneters.
Indonesia’s Situation Upon Shin Tae-yong’s Arrival
The Indonesia national team was in a complicated situation before Shin Tae-yong arrived. The Garuda squad performed poorly in the World Cup Qualifiers, losing five consecutive matches, leading to Simon McMenemy’s dismissal from the coaching position.
Shin Tae-yong was contracted as Indonesia’s national team coach in early 2020. Shortly after, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, halting all of Indonesia’s scheduled activities.
Shin Tae-yong’s debut only occurred in May 2021. In a friendly match before the World Cup 2022 Qualifiers, Indonesia lost 1-3 to Oman. At that time, Shin Tae-yong fielded mostly domestic league players.
In February 2020, when Shin Tae-yong arrived, Indonesia was at 173rd place in the FIFA rankings. This position remained until May 2021, when Shin Tae-yong made his debut.
FIFA Ranking Rise during Shin Tae-yong’s Era
The first thing Shin Tae-yong did with the Indonesia national team was to build a new generation. Many players from the youth groups were promoted to the senior team, such as Pratama Arhan, Witan Sulaeman, and Rizky Ridho.
Meanwhile, under Mochamad Iriawan’s PSSI era, friendly matches were frequently organized to fill the FIFA calendar. As a result, Indonesia gradually rose in the FIFA rankings.
In August 2022, Indonesia was at the 160th position in the FIFA rankings. Throughout 2023, Indonesia’s position in the FIFA rankings continued to rise gradually. Indonesia closed 2023 at the 146th position in the FIFA rankings.
Post 2023 Asian Cup
The Indonesia national team participated in the 2023 Asian Cup and managed to advance to the knockout stage or Round of 16. This achievement earned Indonesia additional points and a rise in the FIFA ranking. Here are the details:
Lost to Iraq: -8.29 Won against Vietnam: +23.18 Lost to Japan: -4.11 Lost to Australia: 0
Now, with a total of 1072.66 points, the Indonesia national team is at the 142nd position in the FIFA rankings. This is Indonesia’s best FIFA ranking since the 2011 edition.(*)
Source: Bola.net
