Hector Souto Still Proud Even Though the National Futsal Team Lost in the 2026 Asian Cup Final

JAKARTA - Head coach of the Indonesian futsal national team, Hector Souto, is still proud of his players' struggle even though they failed to emerge as champions at the 2026 Futsal Asian Cup. In the final match, Indonesia had to admit Iran's superiority after a penalty shootout drama.

In the final which took place on Saturday, February 7 evening, Indonesia lost 4-5 in a penalty shootout after playing a draw 5-5. Despite returning with the status of runner-up, Souto did not forget to appreciate the performance of his children on the field.

"I want to congratulate the players because they did a great job. What we achieved in this time is really amazing," Souto said at a press conference after the match, quoted from Antara, February 8.

Souto assessed that Indonesia's achievement of reaching the final and giving a fierce fight to Iran was proof of the significant development of national futsal at the Asian level. Moreover, Iran has been recorded as having won the Asian Futsal Cup 14 times.

The coach did not deny that one of the main strengths of the Garuda squad in the match was the mental aspect. He said his team was able to survive in various difficult situations until forcing the match to continue to a penalty shootout, even though they faced an opponent with a big reputation at the international level.

"We are very strong mentally. The way the players deal with the pressure throughout the game is not easy," he said.

On the other hand, Souto also openly admitted that there was still a quality gap between Indonesia and the top Asian countries.

"Iran and Japan are still stronger than us. They have top players at the world level," he said.

He added that the tempo of the game in the Asian competition is much higher than the domestic league, so it is a challenge for Indonesian players.