BANGKOK (5 April 2026) – Hector Souto, the head coach of the Indonesian Futsal national team, has set the initial target of a place in the semifinals of the ASEAN Futsal Championship 2026, which starts tomorrow.
With the immense pressure of expectations and the need to blood new players, Souto said that the initial target of reaching the semifinals is realistic.
“For this tournament, we are taking it game by game as there is a real need to bring in new players as part of efforts to further the evolution of the squad,” said Souto.
“We are looking at increasing the number of players available for the national side, and these new players need to know the system in detail.”
Indonesia are the defending champions of the ASEAN Futsal Championship, having unseated 16-time winner Thailand at the last event in 2024.
Indonesia beat Vietnam 2-0 in the final.
Indonesia further cemented their position as the new powerhouse in ASEAN Futsal by taking the gold medal at the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand and then making the final of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup earlier this year.
The 19th edition of the ASEAN Futsal Championship 2026 will be held on 5–13 April 2026 at the Central Stadium in Nonthaburi Province.
Thailand are in Group A against Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste, while Group B is Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.
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