Asian Debate: Do Indonesia Need A New Head Coach?

Is it game over for one of South-East Asia's best-known coaches?

Nov 23, 2009 3:18:23 AM

Teams

Indonesia

After Guus Hiddink’s exploits in Asia in 2002, it is not surprising that other coaches around the giant continent would like nothing more than to emulate the world-renowned European.

Last August, Benny Dollo, the national team coach of Indonesia, talked of following in the Dutchman’s footsteps but not in regard to his ability to get results from unfancied teams, Dollo was more interested in Hiddink’s ability to juggle more than one job.

“Persija (Jakarta) approached me to be their head coach in the Super League,” Dollo said in August as he contemplated combining a club position with his national team duties.

“Just like Guus Hiddink when he took over Chelsea but still maintained his job in the Russian national team,” he said. Dollo ended up becoming the technical director of the club, something that didn’t go down to well deep in the bowels of the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium where the Indonesian FA have their offices.

Benny Dollo In Training

Not qualifying for a major tournament will also not be well received but Dollo is in serious danger of following a more recent Dutch example.

Russia, a nation of 140 million people were eliminated from the 2010 World Cup by tiny Slovenia with two million people. Kuwait, with a population of three million or so, look to have ended dreams of the 2011 Asian Cup for around 230 million Indonesians.

All is not completely lost but the situation is critical. With four of the six 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers played, Indonesia have yet to win and have just three points on the board. They have to collect six points from their final two games (at home to Oman and away in Australia) to have a chance of making it to Qatar. It is unlikely to happen.

After a solid start – an away point in Oman and a home draw against the Socceroos – the back-to-back matches against Kuwait were crucial but despite the fact that the south-east Asians took the lead in Kuwait City and Jakarta, they ended up collecting just one point.

Indonesia Will Have To Win in Australia

A first Indonesia-less Asian Cup since 1992 is on the cards despite that, the nation’s governing body has guaranteed Dollo’s position at least until the end of qualification in March. The opinion of the FA is that it is too late to change now. They may have cause to regret their indecision.

Feelings among fans, and large sections of Indonesia’s football media, has turned against Dollo and not just because of 180 disappointing minutes against Kuwait.

Results have been poor ever since the coach took the hotseat at the beginning of 2008. A series of mixed results in friendly games warmed the team up for the AFF Sukuzi Cup (formerly known as the Tiger Cup, South-east Asia’s biennial competition) that took place in December and was co-hosted in Indonesia in combination with Phuket).

It was a big disappointment. After big and expected wins against Cambodia and Myanmar, Indonesia lost the three games that mattered. The loss against Singapore may have been a meaningless match in terms of qualification for the last four but losing to their rivals in Jakarta was never going to go down well.

That meant a semi-final against Thailand. Both legs were lost and the team crashed out. After 2000, 2002 and 2004 all ended with a runners-up spot.

Indonesia Are Becoming Increasingly Frustrated

The bragging rights that the competition gives are real. The regional title is one trophy that Indonesia are desperate for and capable of winning and envious glances were cast in the direction of Vietnam last December as Hanoi went wild with delight.

Jakarta is still waiting and patience is wearing thin. The team has failed to win any of its last eight games.

Drawing at home against Australia and away in Oman is nothing to be ashamed of but for fans, losing all four games against Thailand and Singapore is.

The poor results this year have made a bad situation worse. As Alex Ferguson says, good results give a coach power and Dollo is running on empty. Before at least he could say that he was giving 100% and trying his hardest but his dalliance with Persija has even put that in doubt.

If Indonesia were top of the group and heading for Qatar fans would forget about Dollo accepting another job with Persija Jakarta. They would forget that his tactics don’t seem to extend much beyond getting the ball to top scorer Bambang Pamungkas and they would overlook the lack of fitness, stamina and discipline that still seems to plague the team.

Too Reliant On Bambang?

Dollo’s unwillingness to take responsibility for the poor results, preferring to blame his players’ players and their mistakes or the FA’s preparation (he has a point, after the draw against the Socceroos in January, Indonesia didn’t play again until earlier this month) have also grated.

Benny is unlikely to survive but the FA may regret not giving a new guy some valuable time to spend with the team in a competitive environment.

John Duerden

Asia Editor

john.duerden@goal.com

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