FIFA Matchday Plan For The Indonesian National Team: Only Once In September, Not Against European Countries

Chairman of PSSI 2023-2027, Erick Thohir (center). (Photo: dock.PSSI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian national team will face Turkmenistan on the FIFA Matchday agenda in September. This news was conveyed by the General Chairperson (Ketum) of PSSI, Erick Thohir, on Thursday, July 20.

The FIFA Matchday agenda will take place on September 4-12. Different from the previous period which was held twice, this time it will only take place once outside Jakarta.

"We want to focus here on FIFA Matchday. This time FIFA Matchday is not like before that can hold two matches," said Erick Thohir.

Erick Thohir then revealed the reason why the agenda could only be held once. That's because the composition of the team that appears will contain several players from the U-23 Indonesian national team, of which three days later they will appear in the Asian Cup age group in Solo.

"Because we have to remember, we will host the U-23 Asian Cup in Solo on 9 and 12, we will compete," explained Erick.

"The composition of the national team is also a lot of young people under the U-23. This means that we will only fill one match, namely the 8th against Turkmenistan, that will be at Gelora Bung Tomo Surabaya," he continued.

The FIFA Matchday agenda is clearly important for the Indonesian national team, which has ambitions to improve their position in the FIFA rankings. Because currently Indonesia is still stuck in its 150th position in the latest FIFA update as of Thursday, July 20.

This position has been occupied by Indonesia since June 29. Before that, Garuda was in 149th position, then down one point after being held to a 0-0 draw by Palestine and defeated by Argentina 0-2 on FIFA Matchday in June.