Shin Tae-yong Asks Players Not To Fast During Test Matches, PSSI Secretary General Yunus Nusi: I Haven't Heard The News

JAKARTA - The coach of the Indonesia U-19 national team, Shin Tae-yong, has instructed Muslim players in his team not to fast during the South Korean test.

What Shin Tae-yong revealed had become a conversation because the coach's decision was considered to limit the players' worship. Regarding this matter, the Secretary-General of PSSI, Yunus Nusi, admitted that he did not know.

When contacted by VOI on Monday, April 4 regarding Shin Tae-yong's instructions regarding the ban on fasting for the players, Yunus said he had not heard this news because he was still out of town.

"I haven't heard (the news), it's still in remote areas (Bumbuhan, Gorontalo)", he said in a written statement.

The Indonesian U-19 national team squad has undergone a training camp (TC) in South Korea since early March. The agenda was carried out in preparation for the U-20 World Cup in 2023.

The TC agenda, which lasted until April, apparently also coincided with the month of Ramadan, which requires U-19 national team players who are Muslim to fast in Ginseng Country.

Quoted from the official PSSI website, during the month of Ramadan the Garuda Muda squad will continue to fast even though they are in other countries. However, on the other hand, coach Shin Tae-yong instructed his players not to fast when the U-19 national team played a test match. This is to get maximum results.

"We know that there is a fasting month, but because we are training camp (TC) abroad, we coordinate and communicate with the players", said Shin Taeyong.

"Fasting is carried out during breaks and is not carried out if there are matches or trials", said Shin Tae-yong added.

While in South Korea, Marselino Ferdinand and his friends are scheduled to carry out a series of trials next week. The U-19 Indonesian National Team will play against Kimcheon on Tuesday, Pohang on Wednesday the day after tomorrow, and Daegu FC on Thursday, April 7 where all the trials will be held in Daegu.

So far, the Indonesian U-19 national team has carried out three trials during the training camp in South Korea. However, no positive results have been obtained after losing the three trials.

In the first trial, the U-19 national team lost 1-5 to Yeungnam University, then was beaten by South Korea U-19 0-7, and again lost to South Korea U-19 1-5.