PSSI Targets The Indonesian Women's National Team To Qualify For The 2035 World Cup After Getting A New Coach

PSSI appointed Satoru Mochizuki as coach of the Indonesian Women's National Team (VOI/Ulfa Gusti).

PSSI has officially appointed a Japanese coach, Satoru Mochizuki, to handle the Indonesian Women's National Team. The Federation has set a big target, which is to qualify for the 2035 Women's World Cup.

"This year we have planned for 2035. Later, we want to try the women's team to pass the quota (to the Women's World Cup). It was already in the blueprint when we explained to FIFA about Indonesia Gold 2045," said PSSI General Chair Erick Thohir, after the inauguration in the Central Jakarta area on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.

The agreement taken by PSSI to appoint Satoru Mochizuki as a coach cannot be separated from the cooperation established with the Japan Football Association (JFA). After discussing the referee's competence, the cooperation finally gave a bright spot to the Indonesian Women's national team.

Satoru's presence was then welcomed by Erick Thohir. If you look at the coach's fairly classy background, Satoru's presence can be a chance to achieve achievements for the Indonesian Women's National Team.

"Our collaboration with JFA is to find the best figure. I agree and feel honored that Mochizuki's coach, who already has a track record for the Olympics, (the 2011 World Cup title) in Germany, and has won the world," said Erick.

Previously, it was known that Satoru had handled the Japanese Women's National Team. During his tenure, the coach managed to bring Japan to fourth place at the Beijing Olympics (2008), the FIFA Women's World Cup champion (2011), and the runners-up at the London Olympics (2022).

Meanwhile, Erick Thohir said that the collaboration between PSSI and Satoru is proof that there is international trust in Indonesian football. Moreover, Satoru has also prepared a vision plan for the next 10 years.

"This is a picture of positive things when the international community believes in Indonesia. We agreed to make a blueprint of 10 years. We call this important and serious program," said Erick Thohir.

After officially serving as the coach of the Indonesian Women's National Team, Satoru has been waiting for the first task, namely to prepare a team to appear in the 2024 U-17 Women's Asian Cup. The plan, the junior tournament will take place in Bali in May-June 2024.

Despite having a high target in the plan for the next decade, Erick does not want to burden Satoru in the 2024 U-17 Asian Cup. He hopes that Satoru will build a team in stages.

"As the host of the 2024 U-17 Asian Cup, I don't have a target first. I told the coach there is no target (in the U-17 Asian Cup)."

"However, we have to know when the world championships are for women. The stages start from the U-17 Women's Asian Cup in Bali. We will train camp as soon as possible," said the PSSI chairman.