Again, Shin Tae-yong Wants To Prove His Experience At The World Cup That The Ball Is Round

Shin Tae-yong does not want to be inferior in front of Saudi Arabia (doc. PSSI).

JAKARTA - The Indonesian national team will play the inaugural match of the 2026 World Cup Qualification Third Round against Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Friday, September 6, 2026, at 01.00 WIB.

Shin Tae-yong understands the quality of Saudi Arabia on paper. However, he did not want to give up and remained confident in his troop abilities.

"We are indeed in the most difficult group. However, we will not give up," said the South Korean coach.

The 53-year-old coach did not want his team to be depressed to see notes on paper related to the quality of Saudi Arabia.

He emphasized to the Indonesian national team players to focus on their own abilities so that they can give their best performances.

"Instead of thinking about a big pressure for me and the team, I prefer to enjoy this moment and try to give my best. We agree to show our best in the match later," said Shin Tae-yong.

Shin Tae-yong's belief that he did not want to be inferior in front of Saudi Arabia could not be separated from his experience at the World Cup.

As is known, he once led the South Korean national team at the 2018 World Cup. At that time, Taegeuk Warriors unexpectedly beat Germany's strong team 2-0 and at the same time repatriated Der Panzer in the group stage.

The defeat made Germany end the 2018 World Cup Group F round as caretaker.

"At the 2018 World Cup, I have memories of against Germany. We had a very good match. Here, we continue to make good preparations," said Shin Tae-yong.

In other words, Shin Tae-yong still fully believes that anything can happen in football. The ball is round, the notes on paper cannot be a reference.

He has also proven this with the Indonesian national team. Just look at the journey in the 2023 Asian Cup where the Garuda Squad made history of qualifying for the knockout phase for the first time.

The Indonesian national team looked stunning throughout the group phase. High mentality and determination are shown by Shin Tae-yong's troops, the majority of whom are inhabited by young players.

The appearance in the 2023 Asian Cup also won praise from many parties. The strong Asian teams can no longer underestimate the eyes of the Indonesian national team.

It didn't stop there, Indonesia U-23 was also brought by Shin Tae-yong to make history by becoming the first semifinalist of the U-23 Asian Cup.

In the group stage of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup, they were able to silence big-name teams such as Australia (1-0) and Jordan (4-1).

In fact, in the quarter-finals, Indonesia U-23 beat South Korea to pick up semifinal tickets as well as look for slots to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Unfortunately, Indonesia U-23's move to the Olympics was tackled by Iraq in the race for third place in the 2024 U-20 Asian Cup.

Tickets to the 2024 Olympics are almost held if they are not inferior to Guinea in the playoffs.