Indonesian fans shouted the name of former coach Shin Tae-yong (55) after their national team's historic defeat. In response, the former coach urged fans to continue supporting the Indonesian national team.

The Indonesian national football team suffered a 1-5 defeat against Australia on the 20th (Korea time) at Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia, in the 7th match of Group C in the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the Asia region.

With this, Indonesia recorded three losses (one win, three draws) and maintained a total of six points, dropping to fourth place in the group, behind Japan (19 points), Australia (10), and Saudi Arabia (9). Indonesia could not carry the momentum from last year's victory over Saudi Arabia (2-0) on November 2.

This match was the first A match since the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) suddenly dismissed coach Shin Tae-yong in January and appointed 'Dutch legend' Patrick Kluivert (49).

Coach Kluivert aimed for a debut victory by utilizing a number of naturalized players from the Netherlands. From the beginning of the match, Indonesia pushed hard against Australia, gaining momentum. However, the result was a heavy defeat.

Indonesia already conceded three goals in the first half, which decided the match early. After missing a chance to score first due to Kevin Diks' missed penalty kick, Indonesia allowed goals from Martin Boyle, Nissen Beluphilay, and Jackson Irvine in quick succession, relinquishing their advantage.

Indonesia lost hope of closing the gap after conceding another goal to Luis Miller in the 61st minute while trailing 0-3. A goal from Ole Romelu in the 78th minute prevented a total rout, but Indonesia bowed their heads again after conceding to Irvine in the 90th minute.

The national team's defeat that day was close to the worst loss during the 1974 World Cup qualifiers, where they lost 0-6 in an away match against Australia in 1973. This was the first time since a friendly match against strong team Iran in January of last year that Indonesia conceded five goals.

On the 21st, Indonesia's "Tribun Jakarta" reported, citing a social media (SNS) account, that "Indonesian fans seemed unable to forget former coach Shin Tae-yong, chanting his name at Sydney Football Stadium."

In this SNS account, Indonesian fans filling the away section of the stadium were seen shouting the name of coach Shin Tae-yong. Another SNS account also featured photos comparing the results against Australia during coach Shin's tenure.

Indeed, Indonesia was in third place, closely chasing Australia by just one point until the sixth match under coach Shin Tae-yong. However, after this loss, the gap widened with third-place Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, former coach Shin Tae-yong visited the stadium that day, showing his continued affection for Indonesian football. According to Indonesian "Channel Sulawesi," despite the heavy loss, the former coach urged his unwavering support for the Indonesian team.

Through Indonesian media, the former coach stated, "Indonesia is always in my heart. Even if the result of this match did not meet expectations, I hope fans will continue to support the Indonesian national team."

He added, "Although the result is unsatisfactory, the Indonesian national team will continue to grow," and asked fans to continue cheering until the end so that players do not give up and work harder. "Your support is a great strength for them," he added.

The former coach assessed the match that day, saying, "The only thing I felt was that there was not enough time for training. Furthermore, due to the lack of training time, the game management did not go well, which was the reason for conceding goals on set pieces."

Additionally, he mentioned regarding the conflict with PSSI, "I will talk about it again next time," adding, "It has not been completely resolved yet."

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