RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Futsal Team has reached a monumental milestone in the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup after a victory over powerhouse Japan in the semifinals. In a match held at the Indonesia Arena, Jakarta on Thursday, 5 February 2026, the "Garuda" squad secured a 5-3 victory. 

This is Indonesia’s ticket to the final for the first time in history. They are set to face the defending champions, Iran, this coming Saturday.

Indonesia set the tone early with an offensive strategy, dominating possession and successfully breaking the deadlock in the first half. Samuel Eko opened the scoring, followed by a crucial strike from Firman Ardiansyah. The pressure from the Garuda squad also forced a high-stakes own goal by Japan’s Takehiro Motoishi.

Japan, however, refused to go down without a fight, their star players Shotta Hoshi and Tomoki Yoshikawa found the back of the net, alongside a late equalizer from Arthur Oliveira. Japan’s resilient comeback tied the score at 3-3 in the final minute of regulation time. But, Indonesia showed incredible composure in extra time to score two decisive goals from Reza Gunawan and Dewa Rizki at the end of the match.

This victory is making history in the Indonesian futsal world. The Head Coach of the national team, Hector Souto, said that this win is a collective effort.

“My team is a history maker. This is not a question of one person, it’s a question of everyone,” Souto remarked during the post-match press conference. He took a moment to acknowledge the enthusiasm by the Indonesian fans, noting the praise he has received is deserved to all the team involved in making history happen.

While celebrating the win, Souto remained humble, praising Japan’s national team for their exceptional performance. However, he reaffirmed his long-term vision to elevate Indonesian futsal to meet the highest global standards.

“We are really proud of what we are doing. We are trying to push the limits of Indonesia to the international standard,” he said.

Despite the euphoria, Coach Souto reminded his squad and the public that while games involve wins and losses, the most important factor is that the team continues to give their absolute best on the court.