Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA) - Chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) Mochamad Iriawan (left) helped Shin Tae-yong (right) wear Indonesia's national soccer team's official jacket following his appointment as the Garuda squad coach on Saturday (Dec 28, 2019). (ANTARA FOTO/Yulius Satria Wijaya/wsj)
"The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has decided and officially announced the name of our national team's coach. Let us all support him," he told journalists in Surabaya, the capital of East Java Province, on Saturday evening.
The appointment of Shin, 50, was announced by PSSI on Saturday following the sack of Scotsman Simon McMenemy in November amid the Indonesian squad's bad performance in the 2022 World Cup qualifying group.
ANTARA noted that the Garuda squad failed to gain any point from five games that it had during the 2022 World Cup qualifying group.
Zainudin Amali admitted that prior to PSSI's official announcement, many Indonesians remain keen to see Luis Milla, a Spanish coach, get back to the coach's seat of the Garuda squad.
However, as the federation responsible for managing Indonesia's national soccer team, PSSI has made its final decision. Therefore, the entire nation must fully support Shin Tae-yong, he said.
"Once again, please support him. May he bring a new hope and achievement for our national team," Amali said, adding that he himself is optimistic that Shin will be able to make the Garuda squad become a better team than before.
Amali argued that Shin was an experienced coach with good track records because when leading the South Korean national team in the World Cup 2018, his country defeated Germany in the group stage.
As a result, as the winner of the World Cup 2014, Germany's national squad should go out of the game.
The PSSI officials introduced Shin Tae-yong to public at Pakansari Stadium in Cibinong, Bogor District, West Java Province, on Saturday.
Shin said he believes that Indonesia has good soccer players. This former South Korean coach is expected to enable the Garuda squad to win all remaining games of the 2022 World Cup qualifying group G.
Shin is also mandated to assist Indonesia's U-22, U-19 and U-16 squads in which he will focus on preparing the Garuda squad for competing in the FIFA U-20 World Cupn in 2021.
Born in Yeongdeok, South Korea, on October 11, 1970 and had ever played as an attacking midfielder in his footballer's career, Shin said he promised to do his best to enable the Garuda squad to pass the group stage.
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