Suara.com – The Indonesian national team coach, Shin Tae-yong, is optimistic that he can take his team to the last 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup.
His confidence grew stronger after his team was often underestimated by the media and other teams.
Not accepting this condescending view, this coach from South Korea made two interesting comments.
1. Don’t care about FIFA rankings
Indonesian National Team players during training (pssi.org)
Indonesia’s FIFA ranking is quite far from its opponents in Group D. The Garuda squad is currently in 146th position.
However, this coach from South Korea saw that these conditions provided an advantage, keeping his team away from excessive pressure.
“I don’t care about FIFA rankings,” said Shin Tae-yong.
“In fact, the low ranking takes the pressure off me and the players,” he stressed.
2. Believe in the Potential of the Players
Portrait of Indonesian national team players after undergoing a training center session (instagram/sandywalsh)
Shin Tae-yong has discussed this with all the players. For him, the position in the FIFA rankings is just a number and does not reflect the actual abilities of the Garuda squad.
He said this team still has a chance to qualify and create a surprise in this event.
“I also told the players, ‘FIFA rankings are just numbers,'” said Shin Tae-yong.
“I don’t think Indonesia’s strength is that low,” he concluded.
Contributor: Imadudin Robani Adam