With just over two months remaining until the resumption of the 18-strong competition, the national football team will organize a new training session on January 8 to enter the preparatory state in advance. Additionally, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, who are in the same group, have already completed the Arabian Gulf Cup, while Indonesia has concluded the Southeast Asian Championship, with coach Ivankovic closely monitoring these opponents.
As one of the main opponents for the national football team's bid for fourth place, Indonesia is set to make significant moves. First, several Dutch players have expressed their willingness to obtain Indonesian citizenship and join the Indonesian national team. Second, South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong faces the possibility of being sacked.
According to the latest news from Indonesian media okezone, an insider from the Indonesian Football Association revealed a major scoop: they plan to invite the 73-year-old European coaching legend Louis van Gaal to coach the Indonesian national team. The chairman of the Indonesian Football Association, Erick Thohir, plans to visit the Netherlands personally next month to meet with Van Gaal.
It is reported that Indonesia's intention to replace the coach stems from two reasons. Firstly, under Shin Tae-yong's leadership, Indonesia finished the first six games of the 18-strong competition with only six points, ranking third in the group. However, the overall performance was not entirely satisfactory. After drawing 2-2 away with Bahrain, losing 1-2 to the national football team, and suffering a 0-4 defeat at home to Japan, the coaching staff led by Shin Tae-yong faced criticism. Secondly, Indonesia is massively naturalizing players, mainly Dutch players, making it more suitable for a Dutch coaching legend to lead this naturalized army.
In response, domestic fans have been actively discussing, saying things like "It makes sense; Indonesia's naturalized players are all Dutch, so finding a Dutch coaching legend would be a better fit," "Indonesia is going all out to become Dutchified," "They're really becoming the second Dutch team," "It's becoming increasingly difficult for the national football team to compete with Indonesia for qualification," and "They could also consider Ten Hag."
In fact, if Indonesia changes its coach, it could be good news for the national football team. With over two months left until the resumption of the 18-strong competition, the Indonesian chairman will not travel to the Netherlands to invite Van Gaal to take charge until next month at the earliest, leaving only about a month for him to get acquainted with the Indonesian national team.
Moreover, given Van Gaal's advanced age and limited energy, he can offer only limited assistance. The national football team need not worry and may even benefit from Indonesia's change in tactical approach after the coaching change, which they might find hard to adapt to immediately.