Indonesia's U-22 team failed to advance from the group stage at SEA Games 2025 despite beating Myanmar, while the women's team progressed to the semifinals as runners-up of Group A. The Garuda Muda's failure sparked sharp criticism of PSSI, contrasting with the solid performance of Garuda Pertiwi, who rebounded after a heavy loss to Thailand.
The 2025 SEA Games in Thailand presented a striking irony for Indonesian football. The U-22 team, defending champions from 2023, were eliminated in the group stage after a 0-1 loss to the Philippines and a 3-1 win over Myanmar on December 12, 2025, at 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai. Myanmar's goal came from Min Maw Oo in the 29th minute, equalized by Toni Firmansyah in the 45th, with Jens Raven scoring twice in the 89th and 90+5th minutes. However, Indonesia's goal difference (3-2) was inferior to Malaysia's (4-3), failing them as the best second-place team in Group C.
Coach Indra Sjafri took full responsibility. "First, we didn't advance from the group. Technically, the person most responsible is me," he said post-match, apologizing to the Indonesian public. PSSI Vice Chairman Zainudin Amali, who targeted gold, called the failure grounds for internal evaluation, though analyst Tommy Welly demanded accountability for coach selection.
In contrast, the women's team, with low expectations, performed impressively. They lost 0-8 to Thailand but rebounded by defeating Singapore, finishing as Group A runners-up, and will face Vietnam in the semifinals on December 14, 2025, at IPE Chonburi Stadium in Chonburi. Vietnam, with eight SEA Games titles, poses a tough challenge. This achievement serves as a mirror for national football development, where the under-the-radar women's team showed strong mentality.
The U-22's failure, the worst since 2009, fueled public criticism of Erick Thohir and the early 2025 decision to sack Shin Tae-yong, seen as triggering the performance decline.
