Indonesia Vs Thailand: 2018 World Cup Alumni Coach Duel

Indonesian National Team (Photo: PSSI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian national team will play the 2022 World Cup Qualification Group G match against Thailand, Thursday, May 3 tomorrow at the Al Marktoum Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. An interesting battle that will bring together two alumni coaches of the 2018 World Cup.

The Indonesian national team coach Shin Tae-yong saw the figure of Thailand's coach Akira Nishino as a very skilled concocting interpreter. His success in bringing the Japanese national team to the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup is a record.

"The coach, when the 2018 World Cup held the Japanese national team, until he entered the last 16, he was indeed a good coach and very experienced," said Shin Tae-yong as quoted from the official PSSI website.

Akira Nishino and Japan managed to steal the hearts of world football lovers despite being dramatically eliminated from the 2018 World Cup after a 2-3 defeat to Belgium at the Rostov Arena.

Blue Samurai went 2-0 up through Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui. However, that advantage failed to be maintained. Belgium bounced back scoring three goals through Jan Vertonghen, Marouane Fellaini, and Nacer Chadli.

The ticket for the quarter-finals is in the hands of the Belgian national team. However, the fighting spirit of Akira Nishino and Japan at that time could certainly be used as an example that in football nothing is impossible.

The 2018 World Cup in Russia, of course, will also never be forgotten by Shin Tae-yong, who at that time coached South Korea.

After losing 0-1 to Sweden, South Korea lost 1-2 to Mexico in the second match. The two defeats made South Korea the first team to be eliminated in Group F.

In the last match, South Korea had to face the defending champion, Germany, who still had a chance to qualify. As a result, Kim Young-gwon scored in the 90+2 minute, followed by Son Heung-min four minutes later.

The results of this match made Germany eliminated with the status of the last rank in Group F under South Korea. Despite being eliminated, Shin Tae-yong and South Korea made history, becoming the first team from Asia to beat the reigning World Cup champions in an official match.

Meanwhile, as a head-to-head two coaches, Shin Tae-yong had beaten Akira Nishino 3-0 at club level when Seongnam Ilhwa against Gamba Osaka in the 2010 Asian Champions League. Indonesia itself has only won once over Thailand in the last decade. .

But Shin Tae-yong prefers to look at the current strength of the team than to look at the past. In addition, Indonesia's chances in Group G of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers have disappeared, so Shin Tae-yong wants to make this match a process towards the creation of a strong and solid team.

"That time has passed a long time ago, 10 years ago, it was also between clubs, now between countries we both meet again, we have to be more focused, we will try our best to get the win," he explained.

"The condition of the players so far is good. The children at this time are still young, if they last one or two years in the national team, they will definitely form a better mentality. In the future it will definitely not be easy to lose, and it will definitely end in victory, concluded Shin Tae-yong.