SEA Games 33 will take place from December 9th to 20th this year. Men’s football is likely to begin about a week before the official opening ceremony.
PSSI (Indonesian Football Association) and the Indonesian League (LIB) announced they will temporarily suspend the domestic league during the U22 Indonesia national team’s training and participation in this year’s SEA Games.
Indonesia football team aiming for SEA Games 33 victoryIndonesia is determined to challenge Vietnam for the Southeast Asian men’s football title at SEA Games 33 (Photo: Thành Đông).
This move demonstrates Indonesia’s strong determination to compete for the men’s football championship in Southeast Asia. Men’s football at SEA Games is held outside of FIFA Days, meaning clubs are not obliged to release players. However, PSSI’s decision to halt the domestic league highlights a significant commitment to the U22 Indonesia team.
U22 Indonesia is the reigning SEA Games champion. Despite this, Indonesia’s national team suffered a major setback at the 2024 AFF Cup, being eliminated in the group stage.
In contrast, Vietnam’s national team won the 2024 AFF Cup. Vietnam suspended the V-League to focus on their national team.
Therefore, Indonesia is adopting Vietnam’s strategy of pausing the domestic league to allow players to focus entirely on SEA Games, thereby increasing their chances of winning the Southeast Asian Games.
