Shin Tae-yong Has Returned To Indonesia

Shin Tae-yong has arrived in Indonesia (doc. PSSI).

JAKARTA - PSSI General Chairperson (Ketum), Erick Thohir, welcomed the return of the Indonesian national team coach, Shin Tae-yong, to Indonesia. Previously, the 53-year-old coach chose to return to his hometown in South Korea to rest as well as undergo health-related operations.

The moment of meeting Erick Thohir and Shin Tae-yong was shared directly by the chairman of PSSI through his personal social media account. Quoted on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Erick Thohir was seen taking pictures with Shin Tae-yong while smiling happily.

"It's nice to be back to meet coach Shin Tae-yong who is healthy and ready to return to work," wrote Erick Thohir in the caption of the photo he uploaded.

Not only expressing the joy of being able to meet again, at the moment of the meeting, apparently Erick also conveyed the points that were also discussed with the coach regarding the Garuda Squad's struggle for the 2026 World Cup.

"We discussed the preparations for the Indonesian national team in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification. The inaugural match on September 5, 2024, the national team will travel to face Saudi Arabia. Then on September 10, 2024, the Indonesian national team will host Australia," he said.

In the Third Round of 2026 World Cup Qualification, apart from meeting Saudi Arabia and Australia, the Indonesian national team will also meet China, Bahrain, and Japan in Group C.

Not only discussing the agenda of the senior team, Erick explained that the meeting with Shin Tae-yong was also used to discuss preparations for the 2024 AFF Cup and 2025 SEA Games. In the two tournaments, PSSI will certainly deploy the U-22 Indonesian national team.

Previously, it was known that Shin Tae-yong was last in Jakarta in June 2024 when confirming his contract extension with PSSI.

After his contract was clear with an extension agreement, Shin got a holiday quota and he used it to return to South Korea. However, in reality, Shin Tae-yong used that moment to undergo pleura surgery or chest membrane inflammation.