Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohir spoke of having encountered challenges during his one year leading the federation, though he could beat them through hard work and extraordinary support from various parties.

"It has been a challenging year, but we were able to get through it with hard work and thanks to the extraordinary support from various parties. FIFA, the government, and all stakeholders unite for the transformation of Indonesian football," Thohir noted on his Instagram account here on Friday.

One year ago, on February 16, 2023, Thohir was elected as chairman of PSSI for the 2023-2027 period.

Thohir, who is concurrently the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) minister, was elected as PSSI chairman after winning 64 votes at the PSSI Extraordinary Congress in Jakarta.

Thohir outperformed his strongest competitor, Regional Representative Council (DPD) Chairman La Nyalla Mattalitti, who received 22 votes.

"We will continue to bring Garuda to the world," Thohir affirmed.

A year after Thohir became the PSSI chairman, the national football team recorded various achievements, such as bagging gold at the 2023 Cambodian SEA Games, after a long wait of 32 years.

The Garuda Squad then successfully entered Round 16 for the first time in the history of its participation in the Asian Cup. In addition, Indonesia is currently at its highest position ever in the FIFA World ranking in the last five years.

The squad, coached by Shin Tae-yong, is currently ranked 142nd in the world, up four spots from 146th last year.

In future, PSSI targets the national football team to enter the top 100, by aiming to win in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification next month.

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Translator: Fajar S, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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