Jakarta, en.SERU.co.id – Indonesia’s national futsal team, Timnas Futsal Indonesia (the Garuda Squad), achieved a historic milestone by securing a spot in the final of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026. They defeated Japan 5-3 after extra time in a thrilling semifinal match. This marks the best-ever performance for Indonesia in the tournament, surpassing their previous quarterfinal appearance in the 2022 edition in Kuwait.
In the final, Indonesia will face the Asian futsal powerhouse and defending champions, Iran (often called the ‘king of futsal’ in Asia), who advanced by beating Iraq 4-2 in their semifinal.
The road to the final was filled with drama and emotion. In the semifinal against Japan, Indonesia showed courage from the start. Samuel Eko opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a powerful shot, putting Indonesia ahead 1-0.
The Garuda team maintained dominance with relentless pressure. Adriyansyah Nur’s shot deflected off Japan’s Takehiro Motoishi into his own net, making it 2-0 at halftime.
Japan fought back in the second half. Motoishi redeemed himself with a fierce strike, and soon after, Shimizu’s shot — which deflected off an Indonesian player — leveled the score at 2-2.
Indonesia regained the lead through Firman Adriyansyah just two minutes before the end of regular time. However, drama continued as Japan earned a penalty via VAR for a handball by M. Iqbal. Shimizu calmly converted it with only 38 seconds left, forcing extra time at 3-3.
In extra time, Indonesia’s champion mentality shone. Reza Gunawan capitalized on a Japanese passing error to make it 4-3. Dewa Rizki then added a fifth goal after Japan failed in their power play attempt, sealing the 5-3 victory.
Japan earned another penalty late, but goalkeeper Nizar produced a brilliant save, sending the shot soaring over the bar. This triumph confirms Indonesia’s rise in Asian futsal.
Indonesia showed consistency throughout the tournament. In Group A (with South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, and Iraq), they started strong with a 5-0 win over South Korea on January 27, 2026, followed by a 5-3 victory against Kyrgyzstan on January 29, and a 1-1 draw with Iraq on January 31. Topping the group, they advanced to the quarterfinals, where they edged out Vietnam 3-2.
Now, the final against Iran represents the ultimate test and a chance to prove that Indonesian futsal has truly reached elite level in Asia. (aan/rhd)
