RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia will enter the ASEAN Futsal Championship 2026 with a dual mission, competing for a semifinal spot while accelerating the development of a new generation of players, as the tournament kicks off on Monday, April 6, 2026, at Nonthaburi Hall, Thailand.

The national futsal team is targeting a place in the semifinals, but head coach Hector Souto has emphasized a measured and realistic approach, with the Garuda squad largely composed of fresh faces emerging from the domestic Professional Futsal League (PFL).

"We just want to try to be competitive. Our main target is to develop the national team so that we have more players ready to play whenever we need them," Souto said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Sunday, April 5, as quoted by Antara.

"Regarding this tournament, we will take it match by match. Hopefully we can reach the semifinals, that is our result target for the group stage and after that, we will see what happen," he added.

For the Indonesian Futsal Association and coaching staff, the tournament is viewed as a long-term investment aimed at strengthening the foundation of the national team. By providing international exposure to PFL talents, the federation considers it a strategic step to ensure a deeper pool of match-ready players.

Indonesia has also called for full public support as the new-look Garuda squad begins its campaign in Thailand, starting with an opening match against Brunei Darussalam on Monday, April 6.

Despite the ambition, preparation has been far from ideal. Souto highlighted that limited training time remains the biggest challenge for the team.

"The most challenging thing is that we only had five training sessions. So, as you can see, with 10 hours of training and a squad that is almost entirely new, this is very challenging," he said.

However, the Spanish coach stressed that player quality is not an issue, expressing confidence in the level of competition in the PFL. "This (time) is our biggest problem, not the quality of the players themselves. I think they are all good players in Southeast Asia," he further explained.

With a short preparation window, the coaching staff has focused on transferring the established playing system developed with the senior squad. Souto acknowledged that maintaining the team’s identity during this transition will be critical.

"The biggest problem we will face is remembering the system and the details we have worked on with the senior squad for one and a half years. Now is the time to introduce new players. If they can maintain our identity and remember how we play, or how the Indonesia national team should play, that is enough," he said.

Souto admitted that some tactical details may be missed during matches, especially under high pressure, but emphasized that the primary objective remains player development.

"But that’s not a problem. We came here to give these players exposure to competition. We are in a period of evolution, and we have to grow, that is our focus," he concluded.

Squad list - Indonesia (ASEAN Futsal Championship 2026):

Goalkeepers: Muhammad Albagir (Blacksteel FC Papua), Angga Ariansyah (Unggul FC Malang)

Anchors: Dewa Rizki (Cosmo JNE FC Jakarta), Dipo Arrahman (Pangsuma FC Kalbar), Peter Junior (Blacksteel FC Papua)

Flanks: Guntur Sulostyo (Bintang Timur Surabaya), Yogi Saputra (Pangsuma FC Kalbar), Rizky Fauzan (Fafage Banua), Imam Anshori (Pangsuma FC Kalbar), Andarias Kareth (Fafage Banua), Adityas Priambudi (Blacksteel FC Papua)

Pivots: Muhammad Sanjaya (Kuda Laut Nusantara FC), Andres Dwi Persada (Unggul FC Malang), Daniel Yeimo (Blacksteel FC Papua) ***