Reviewing Shin Tae-yong's Poor Record in the AFF Championship: Still Unable to Lead the Indonesia National Team to Victory

The Indonesia national team coach, Shin Tae-yong, will face another challenge in the 2024 AFF Championship. After failing to win in the previous two editions, this will be his next opportunity to secure a title.

The Indonesia national team will begin their campaign to win their first-ever AFF Championship title in 2024. According to the schedule, the prestigious tournament in Southeast Asia will start on December 8, 2024, and run until January 5, 2025.



Based on the results of the draw held on May 21, 2024, the Garuda squad will compete in Group B alongside Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos. Meanwhile, Group A consists of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Timor Leste. Out of 15 previous participations, the Indonesia national team has yet to win the championship. Their best achievement so far is as runners-up, which they have reached six times in the editions of 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2020.



At least, Shin Tae-yong has led the Indonesia national team twice in this championship, specifically in the 2020 and 2022 AFF Cup editions. In his first appearance, the South Korean coach managed to deliver a surprise.

With a squad primarily made up of young players, he was able to guide the Garuda team to a standout performance. Young talents like Asnawi Mangkualam, Pratama Arhan, Witan Sulaeman, and Alfeandra Dewangga helped the team dominate their opponents.

They delivered an impressive run, reaching the final. Unfortunately, Indonesia's ambition to win their first title was unfulfilled as they were defeated by Southeast Asia's dominant team, Thailand, with an aggregate score of 2-6 (0-4 and 2-2).

In contrast, in the 2022 edition, the journey for Shin Tae-yong's squad ended on an anticlimax. After advancing from the group stage, they were eliminated by Vietnam in the semifinals with an aggregate score of 0-2 (0-0 and 0-2).



For the 2024 AFF Championship, Shin Tae-yong plans to bring a team primarily made up of young players. He revealed that the players he calls up will mostly be from the U-22 category, meaning players under the age of 22.

"We will indeed be bringing the U-22 national team to the 2024 AFF Cup. So, naturally, our team’s capabilities may be lower compared to other teams," said Shin Tae-yong during the AFF Trophy Tour event held in Jakarta on Saturday, November 2, 2024.



This plan has certainly surprised the public. However, considering the current situation, this step seems to be a well-thought-out decision. Since the 2024 AFF Championship is not part of the FIFA calendar, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) will face difficulties in calling up its abroad players from Europe.Moreover, players from the national team competing in the BRI Liga 1 will also likely be hard to release by their clubs, as the domestic league will continue running during the tournament.



Although relying on a team of young players from the U-22 category, Shin Tae-yong remains highly optimistic. He is confident that he can lead the Indonesia national team to the final of the 2024 AFF Championship.

"We will do our best. I hope the Indonesia national team can reach the final of the 2024 AFF Cup. Our capabilities have developed, so honestly, I hope the Indonesia national team can make it to the final of the 2024 AFF Cup," said Shin Tae-yong.

Looking at the competitive landscape, it seems Shin Tae-yong's goal of reaching the final will be more challenging, as he cannot field his strongest players for the tournament. However, it is not impossible for the Garuda squad to achieve this goal. In other words, while there may not be a focus on winning the title, Indonesian national team fans may have to wait longer to see their first trophy in this competition.