Semifinals, Indonesian National Futsal Team Arrives

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Once again, the Indonesian national futsal team has brought honor to the nation and made its supporters proud. For the first time, the "Garuda" squad has reached the semifinals of the Futsal Asian Cup.

This historic achievement was confirmed after Indonesia eliminated Vietnam with a score of 3-2 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (3/2/2026) at the Indonesia Arena Stadium in Jakarta. The victory of the team coached by Hector Souto was determined by goals from Wendy Brian Ick (4’), Ardiansyah Nur (11’), and Reza Gunawan (26’). Meanwhile, Vietnam's two goals were scored by Nguyen Da Hai in the 25th and 36th minutes.

Indonesia is confirmed to be a debut semifinalist in the 2026 Futsal Asian Cup. In the final four phase, Indonesia will have a reunion with the national futsal team coach from the 2018–2021 period, Kensuke Takahashi. The semifinal match will take place on Thursday (5/2/2026) at the Indonesia Arena.

The "Samurai Five" team advanced to the semifinals after ending Afghanistan's dream of reaching the top four in the Futsal Asia Cup for the first time. Japan won decisively with a score of 6-0.

The certainty of advancing to the semifinals was celebrated with a roar at the Indonesia Arena. A total of 8,411 pairs of eyes filling the stands shouted the chant "Indonesia... Indonesia..." after the final whistle was blown by the Iraqi referee, Hawkar Ahmed.

Smiles were also evident among all the Indonesian players. They were able to avenge their defeat against Vietnam after losing in the 2025 SEA Games, while simultaneously carving out a new history for Indonesian futsal, which has been seriously developed since 2002.

Indonesia's coach Hector Souto welcomed the success of helping Indonesia make new history in Asian futsal. He is also optimistic that his team can provide a fierce challenge to Japan, the holder of four Futsal Asian Cup titles.

"A new record (reaching the semifinals) is a good thing. However, we must play better than we did in today's match. With improved performance, I am confident we have a chance to defeat Japan," said Souto in the mixed zone after the match.

Another point of pride is that Indonesia is the only representative from Southeast Asia in the semifinals of the 2026 Futsal Asian Cup. Thailand failed to continue the tradition of reaching the top four in the last three editions after losing 2-4 to Iraq.

We always strive to perform at our best, especially when playing at home. The next goal is to deliver our best again in the semifinals to reach the final.

In the 17 previous editions of the Futsal Asian Cup, Thailand has been the sole representative from ASEAN in the semifinals on eight occasions. In the 2016 edition in Uzbekistan, Thailand and Vietnam both represented ASEAN in the semifinal round. The two teams even faced each other in an ASEAN derby for third place, which Thailand won with a score of 8-0.

As rivals in the ASEAN region, both teams launched attacks from the kickoff. Vietnam created the first opportunity in Indonesia's defensive zone.

"The Golden Star Forces" unleashed two consecutive shots in the third minute through Tu Minh Quang and Vu Ngoc Anh. Both attempts were successfully parried by the Indonesian goalkeeper, Ahmad Habiebie.

In the first half, Habiebie made four crucial saves to maintain Indonesia's lead. The goalkeeper of Bintang Timur Surabaya's successive saves elicited enthusiastic applause from the home supporters.

The Indonesian squad's composure led to a goal scored by Brian from a corner kick. He tapped in a precise pass from Rio Pangestu. Ardiansyah then doubled the Garuda squad's lead through a fast break that began with a high pressing tactic. In front of goal, Ardiansyah completed a one-two with Rio.

Despite leading by two goals, Indonesia faced a difficult situation when committing the fifth foul in the last five minutes of the first half. The pressure was eased to avoid a sixth foul that would result in a direct free kick. Discipline was maintained well, allowing Indonesia to avoid a situation that would have been advantageous for Vietnam.

In the second half, Vietnam took the initiative in attack. Their two goals demonstrated their ability to read gaps in the Indonesian defense's right flank. Vietnam also employed a power play strategy, deploying five active attacking players in the final five minutes of the match.

The relentless attacks from Vietnam were unable to close the gap. This was largely due to the outstanding performance of Habiebie. In the second half, he made nine crucial saves. Habiebie even required medical attention after blocking a shot from a Vietnamese player with his face in the 30th minute.

"We always strive to perform at our best, especially when playing at home. The next goal is to give our best again in the semifinals to reach the final," said Habiebie.

Souto admitted he wasn't entirely satisfied with his team's performance. He believed the Garuda squad should have performed better.

"We controlled the first half, but that failed to be repeated in the second half. I am not satisfied because we should have won by a more comfortable margin. We need to improve our game as it is important for our ambition to qualify for the 2028 Futsal World Cup," Souto stated afterward.

In addition to Indonesia against Japan, the other semifinal will feature two neighboring countries, Iran versus Iraq. Iran, the holder of 14 Futsal Asian Cup titles, eliminated Afghanistan with a score of 7-4. Meanwhile, Iraq silenced the Asian giant, Thailand, with a score of 4-2.