Former Uzbekistan national team coach Timur Kapadze acknowledged that the Indonesian national team has grown stronger after reaching the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone this year.
In the fourth round, Indonesia's progress was halted by Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Indonesia was eliminated after a long journey since the first round in October 2023.
"What's certain is that the assessment is positive, and there's certainly progress. Yesterday (during the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifying for the Asian zone), the opponents were stronger, not that Indonesia was weak," Kapadze said after Friday prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque in.
Kapadze also highlighted the use of several young players in the Indonesian senior national team, such as Rizky Ridho, Marselino Ferdinan, Justin Hubner, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Ivar Jenner, and Ernando Ari Sutaryadi.
Kapadze faced these players at the 2024 AFC U-23 Championship in Qatar, when his team faced Indonesia, coached by Shin Tae-yong, in the semifinals. Kapadze defeated Shin Tae-yong's team 2-0.
Uzbekistan advanced to the final but fell short of the title after being defeated by Japan. Despite their defeat, they will still qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics as they were among the top three teams at the 2024 AFC U-23 Championship.
