Erick Thohir Delighted as Indonesia Sweeps Oman and Mozambique Matches

Erick Thohir, the Chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), shared his delight following the national team's clean sweep in their recent FIFA Match Day encounters. Indonesia secured victories against both Oman and Mozambique, demonstrating a strong performance on the international stage.

The Indonesian squad first triumphed over Oman with a decisive 3-0 scoreline last Friday. Following this success, they went on to defeat Mozambique 1-0 on Tuesday. Thohir acknowledged the competitive nature of the matches, noting the back-and-forth play and strategic adjustments made by both teams. "The children played well. How many times did they hit the post? Two. But Mozambique also hit the post. So the game was quite back and forth, and the strategies kept changing. I think it was a pretty tough match," Thohir told reporters after the game at SUGBK.

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The children played well. How many times did they hit the post? Two. But Mozambique also hit the post. So the game was quite back and forth, and the strategies kept changing. I think it was a pretty tough match.

Despite Mozambique being lower in the FIFA rankings than Indonesia, they proved to be a challenging opponent, contrary to pre-match predictions of an easier win for the Garuda squad. Thohir highlighted that team quality isn't solely determined by FIFA rankings, emphasizing the influence of coaching strategies, player fitness, and unpredictable game dynamics. "Everything depends on the respective coach's strategy, player fitness, anything can happen. Well, thank God today we were able to take full points," he stated.

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All depends on the respective coach's strategy, player fitness, anything can happen. Well, thank God today we were able to take full points.

These two victories have significantly boosted Indonesia's standing in the FIFA rankings. The team has climbed four places to reach 118th in the world with 1157.14 points, according to live FIFA rankings updated on Wednesday. Conversely, Mozambique's two losses this month, including a 1-4 defeat to Oman and the 0-1 loss to Indonesia, have caused them to drop two places to 103rd with 1218.62 points.

Looking ahead, Thohir expressed his hope that this upward trend in ranking will serve as a positive catalyst for Indonesia. He aims for the team to achieve its target of breaking into the top 100 world rankings in the near future. "Hopefully, it continues according to our target going forward, we can get closer to the number 100. Hopefully," he concluded.

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Hopefully, it continues according to our target going forward, we can get closer to the number 100. Hopefully.