Indonesia football's tactical gaps highlighted by Indra Sjafri as Liam Oetoehganal considered for midfield

Former Indonesia national team coach Indra Sjafri said Indonesian players are technically skilled but lack tactical understanding, noting they "don't know when to dribble, when to pass, or why". He compared Japan's long‑term development model and warned that Indonesia lags behind Europe by about 20 years because it follows others without creating its own breakthroughs.

Current head coach John Herdman is preparing the squad for the AFF 2026 tournament. He may add 22‑year‑old Liam Oetoehganal, captain of Sparta Rotterdam’s U‑21 side, to the midfield. Oetoehganal, born in Nijmegen and trained at Feyenoord before moving to Belgium’s Beerschot, qualifies for Indonesia through his paternal grandmother from Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan. If called up, he would compete with midfielders such as Thom Haye, Ivar Jenner and Joey Pelupessy, providing Herdman with a versatile option.