"In February of 2023, I pushed for the transformation (of Indonesia's football) with the very mindset that all must collaborate to ensure that the transformation is successful," he told the sports news outlet, as cited from his Instagram account @erickthohir here on Saturday.
In the video interview posted on the account, Thohir expressed his stark optimism about Indonesian football's bright future, believing that Indonesia is a sleeping giant in the world of football.
On that note, he said that the Indonesian government, the International Football Federation (FIFA), and all stakeholders share the same view regarding the need to overhaul Indonesia's football scene in a comprehensive manner.
To that end, the PSSI opted to accord priority to the development of Indonesia's national football team, paving the way for the birth of a strong squad expected to make a breakthrough, he added.
Three months into Thohir's term at PSSI, the Indonesian men's national football team registered a notable achievement at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Cambodia.
"We managed to win the Southeast Asian championship, which we had never won in the last 32 years," the former shareholder of the Italian renowned football club Inter Milan stated.
Thohir then remarked that his office made all-out efforts to lead the Indonesian national football team not only to earn a place at the Paris Olympics 2024 but also to reach the semi-finals at the world's largest sporting event.
Being one step away from performing at the event, Indonesia eventually had to shelve its Olympics dream after a 0-1 loss against Guinea in the play-off match of the qualifiers held in France, Thohir remarked.
Furthermore, the PSSI leader affirmed that Indonesia's next goal is securing a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which he deems in reach since Team Garuda has collected six points from six matches in the third-round Asian qualifiers.
After its 2-0 home victory against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia climbed to third place in the Group C preliminary standings, with four games remaining, and secured the 125th place in FIFA rankings.
Thohir also underscored that Indonesia is targeting to clinch 50th place in the FIFA rankings by next year.
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Translator: Aloysius L, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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