Bung Ropan Recommends 4 National Team Coach Candidates

Eddy Wijaya and Ronny Pangemanan. (Doc Eddy Wijaya)

JAKARTA - Football observer Ronny Pangemanan or who is familiarly called Bung Ropan recommends a number of world football coaches who deserve to replace Patrick Kluivert from the Indonesian National Team (Timnas) coach position. They include former South Korean coach Paulo Bento, Assistant coach of the Uzbekistan national team, Timur Kapadze, and former Iraqi coach Jesus Casas.

"Hopefully PSSI, Pak Erick (Chairman of PSSI Erick Thohir) can hear what we are talking about right now and it can be a reference for him to contact Paul Bento, Timur Kapadze or Jesus Casas. These three (coachers) are right for us to handle our national team. So with a good track record, as well as their good communication methods, okay discipline, yes, we need coaches whose quality is like them," said Bung Ropan while talking to Eddy Wijaya on the EdShareOn podcast which aired on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

According to Bung Ropan, the coaches have affordable prices but with high quality because they were able to bring the team they had built to become champions. For example, when Kapadze successfully led Uzbekistan U-23 to the 2024 Paris Olympics which became a historic achievement for the country. Meanwhile, Casas once succeeded in leading the Iraqi national team to win the 25th Arab Gulf Cup title in January 2023.

"We need a coach who is authoritative, has charisma, if the coach has it then the players will obey, respect and the players will accept what he says. And the coach must be smart, smart, now it's in Kapadze's East head, Paul Bento, and Jesus Casas," he said.

Bung Ropan said that although the three coaches did not have game skills like Patrick, they had been tested and were able to bring their team to excel in various world Football matches. What we need, right, as coaches, if (as) the player (they) have passed," said the former Italian League commentator (Seerie A) on one of the private television stations.

However, the former Manado Football Association (Presma) manager also opened another name to replace Kluivert. One of them is Morocco's national team coach, Vahid Halilhod Badminton. According to Bung Ropan, the Bosnian coach was able to bring the team nicknamed the Atlas Lion to qualify for the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He is a good coach, if he exists, it's solid again. It depends on PSSI now to see, there must be a steady coach who comes," said Bung Ropan.

Bung Ropan added that PSSI must immediately select a new quality coach to face a number of international football events, including FIFA Matchday in November, the AFF Cup in July 2026, and the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January 2027. If you don't take action quickly, it's difficult," he said.

Patrick Kluiver Not Consistently Set Strategies

Football observer, Bung Ropan assessed that former Indonesian national team coach Patrick Kluivert was not good at managing the game strategy for the Garuda Squad. This can be seen after Indonesia lost 2 in the last match against the Iraqi national team with a score of 0-1 and Saudi Arabia with a score of 2-3, in the 2026 World Cup Qualification in the Asian zone.

"When you say wrong (strategy) yes, many are disappointed too, I am also included. Why? Because he (Kluivert), in quotes, seemed to be playing games when facing 2 crucial matches (Saudi Arabia and Iran). You can't actually try formations," said Bung Ropan to Eddy Wijaya.

The man who was born in Manado, September 21, 1965, explained that the coach who replaced Shin Tae-young was also inconsistent in compiling the players. For example, in placing players who are mainstays like Marselino Ferdinand in important matches. "For example, when we were battered against Australia with a 5-1 score in Sydney. He was confused about what (formation) he wanted to use. Finally he came back in a 3-4-3 formation," said Bung Ropan.

Bung Ropan then agreed with PSSI's actions to fire Kluiver. But he also still asked PSSI to take lessons in the future coach election. "Of course, the quality of the coach that must be chosen in the future is more than Patrick, even more than STY (Shin Tae-young, former coach of the Indonesian national team)."

Who Is Eddy Wijaya Really, Here's The Profile

The figure of Eddy Wijaya is a podcaster who was born on August 17, 1972. Through the @EdShareOn YouTube account, Eddy interviewed many national figures ranging from state officials, legal experts, political experts, national politicians, to Indonesian celebrities. The man with the characteristics of the right cheek dimple is also a nationalist who is a struggling activist for discriminated and social observers by helping the community through the Wijaya Peduli Bangsa foundation.

He is also active in the field of sports by serving as the Daily Chair of the All-Indonesian Equestrian Sports Association (Pordasi) Pacu and has also served as Deputy Chairperson of the All-Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) East Jakarta. Eddy also serves as the Advisory Board of the Social Association of Marga Tionghoa Indonesia, the 2022-2026 term of service. His ideas were formed because of his hard work to be independent from the age of 13 years until his success as he is now. For Eddy, the world of work is not as smooth as imagined, failure and rejection are common. This is what makes him hold fast to the tagline Success is only a matter of time.