REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- PSSI General Chairman Erick Thohir reiterated his goal to bring Indonesian football more respect on the world stage. During a visit to Bali as SOE Minister, Erick talked about short, medium and long term targets to realize that Indonesia can be in the top 50 of FIFA rankings.
Currently, Indonesia is ranked 130 by FIFA. But this position is sure to rise if the Indonesian team continues to record impressive results in official FIFA matches, including the 2026 World Cup Qualifier.
Erick previously talked about the program to accelerate the ranking in the PSSI Blueprint with the headline 'Garuda Mendunia' that Indonesia should be in FIFA 50 by 2045.
“This is a big program, where Indonesia wants to enter the top 50 in the world in 2045. For Asia, if you can aim to get in the top 9. This is certainly a long-term program, there is certainly a quick win, there is a medium strategy,” Erick said in Bali on Thursday (21/11/2024).
According to Erick, the positive results obtained by the team are part of the acceleration of the PSSI strategy or short-term strategy to achieve the desired goals. It proved that PSSI under his leadership made history for the Indonesian U-17, U-20, U-23 and senior teams competing in the Asian Cup.
“History and never before. Our U23 team is almost in the Olympics, losing only one game. The U-17 and U-20 teams still have a chance at the World Cup,” Erick said.
In February 2025, the U-20 team will end, while the U-17 team will fight in April 2025. The team will again compete in Group C of the 2026 World Cup Qualifier. Indonesia leaves four more matches, two home and two away in March and June.
The senior team is chasing six extra points to be able to finish at least in the top four. “The win against Saudi Arabia was key, why? Because we got six points. If yesterday the opponent of Saudi Arabia lost, our weight is towards the 3rd or 4th place,” he said.
Indonesia's chances are open again after conquering Saudi Arabia 2-0. “There is still hope that we will win twice out of four games. Especially if two wins and one draw are a bonus for us,” Erick said.
At the moment, he said, PSSI is trying to make that happen. Indonesia will face Australia on March 20, 2025 and Bahrain on five days after. “He called on FIFA and the AFC to see that our country is safe, our country is not a backward country,” Erick said.
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