After winning the runner-up status in the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup, the U-23 Indonesian national team will continue their struggle by looking at the 2025 SEA Games. However, at the end of that year, Gerald Vanenburg as the coach had a great chance of being replaced by Indra Sjafri.
The news of the change of coach of the Garuda Muda squad emerged for a number of reasons. First, Gerald Vanenburg has stated that he will not escort the U-23 Indonesian national team at the Southeast Asian sports party.
Vanenburg made this statement during a press conference after the AFF U-23 Cup final at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, WIB night.
"About the SEA Games (2025), they said that it wasn't something I was working on. I was assigned to the U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers (2026). So, I will try to win that," Vanenburg previously said.
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In addition, the General Chairperson (Ketum) of PSSI, Erick Thohir, also said that the position of the Indonesian U-23 coach at the 2025 SEA Games had not yet been determined. PSSI will still have discussions with the Government, in this case Kemenpora.
From the situation above, it would be strong if during the 2025 SEA Games, the Garuda Muda squad was not guided by Vanenburg. Moreover, Indonesia's target in the 2025 SEA Games is to defend the gold medal.
Regarding the replacement for Vanenburg, Menpora Dito Ariotedjo on February 24, 2025 had mentioned the name of Indra Sjafri to handle the U-23 Indonesian national team. At that time, Dito said this was in accordance with PSSI's direction.
"For the junior rice team (U-20) it will be tried to be replaced, but he (Erick Thohir) told me that coach Indra Sjafri will still be assigned to prepare for the SEA Games," Dito said separately.
However, until now both PSSI and Menpora have not been willing to confirm who the U-23 Indonesia coach will be at the 2025 SEA Games.
Apart from that, Indra Sjafri is considered capable of escorting the national team of young people. He was noted to have brought Indonesia U-19 to win the AFF Cup for the first time in 2013, then the first AFF U-23 Cup champion in 2019.
The man from West Sumatra also managed to present a gold medal in the 2023 SEA Games football after 32 years since the 1991 SEA Games.
With this note, it is not wrong if Indra Sjafri is a strong candidate to coach the U-23 Indonesian national team at the 2025 SEA Games. However, until now the official decision regarding this matter has not been announced by PSSI and Kemenpora.
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