Souto said some Indonesian players were still in the early stages of adapting to the atmosphere of major matches at the Asian level. He compared this to Kyrgyzstan, which boasts a number of players who have played in foreign leagues like Russia, Armenia, and Uzbekistan.
"I hope one day Indonesian players can also play abroad, because playing only here feels like we're living in a bubble. We need to break that to improve our level," Souto said after the match against Kyrgyzstan at the Indonesia Arena .
In that match, Indonesia won 5-3 over Kyrgyzstan, securing a ticket to the quarter-finals of the 2026 Asian Futsal Cup.
According to him, improving quality can be achieved through two channels: inviting qualified foreign players to compete in the domestic league or encouraging Indonesian players to play abroad to gain broader international experience.
