PSSI Appoints Alen Stajcic as New Indonesia Women’s National Team Head Coach

PSSI Appoints Alen Stajcic as Head Coach of Indonesia Women’s National Team

PSSI officially appointed Alen Stajcic as the new head coach of the Indonesia women’s national team on a three-year contract, replacing Satoru Mochizuki, detikSport reported.

Stajcic was introduced at Hotel Le Meridien in Jakarta on Monday, November 9, 2026. The 53-year-old Australian manager brings more than two decades of experience in women’s football to Garuda Pertiwi, aiming to lift the squad onto the continental and global stages. PSSI has scheduled his debut match for this month.

Stajcic Signs Three-Year Agreement with PSSI

PSSI signed Stajcic to a three-year agreement following months of discussions. His resume includes domestic titles with the New South Wales Sapphires in 2003/04 and Sydney Women in 2009 and 2012/13, alongside international milestones with Australia and the Philippines.

He guided the Matildas to the Women’s Asian Cup finals in 2013 and 2018 and reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. He later made history with the Philippines by securing their first-ever qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“Rasanya spesial ketika harus mewakili seluruh negara. Pernah melatih Australia sebagai Tanah Air sendiri tentu hal spesial,” Stajcic said during his introductory remarks, as reported by detikSport. “Saya ingin mewakili banyak orang untuk membawa suatu yang bisa dibanggakan. Sebab bekerja di negara lain juga merupakan kehormatan besar.”

He added that leading Indonesia is an even greater honor because he must carry the nation’s name internationally, stating, Ini adalah sebuah kehormatan besar untuk melatih Indonesia. Terlebih lagi, ketika mendapat kesempatan untuk mewakili negara lain, tentu itu menjadi kehormatan yang jauh lebih besar.

Erick Thohir Outlines Ambitions for Garuda Pertiwi

PSSI President Erick Thohir attended the unveiling alongside league officials and players, wearing white batik. Thohir emphasized that the federation treats the men’s and women’s national teams with equal commitment as part of a broader strategy to elevate Indonesian football.

“Kita di PSSI serius membangun sepak bola Indonesia. Kita bisa melihat bagaimana perkembangan liga yang sangat positif hari ini,” Thohir stated, according to Kementerian Pemuda dan Olahraga, noting the representative performance of league teams and positive results playing outside Indonesia.

He noted that the ultimate objective is to earn a spot at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, mentioning that PSSI held numerous meetings over the past few months before selecting Stajcic for his skilled experience.

Thohir also remarked that regarding players, Untuk pemain nanti, statement dari Coach jelas, siapapun yang akan membela Merah Putih dari manapun, dan sesuai dengan strategi besar PSSI, ya kita ingin memastikan yang terbaik untuk Timnas Putri Indonesia.

Kompas reported that Stajcic was drawn to the role by the high level of public passion for football in Indonesia, contrasting it with Australia and the Philippines where football competes with other major sports. Stajcic noted that football is not the most popular sport in those two countries, whereas Indonesia possesses a massive football enthusiasm that motivated him to give everything to make the people proud.

Early Surprises and Target for 2029 Asian Cup

Stajcic expressed astonishment at the scheduling of the Indonesia Women’s League (IWL) 2026/2027 season, noting that morning kickoff times at 07.30 local time are rare globally. CNN Indonesia reported that he praised players for waking up as early as 04.30 or 05.00 to prepare for matches, while noting that he watched all league matches online from Australia over the previous month due to the four-hour time difference.

“Saya terkesan dengan cara mereka bermain dalam kondisi ini, karena seperti yang kita tahu ini sangat tangguh. Tampil untuk pertandingan pukul 7.30 pagi adalah hal unik di dunia,” Stajcic said, as cited by CNN Indonesia.

Looking ahead, Stajcic aims to prepare the squad for qualification for the 2029 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. He stressed that achieving this milestone requires specialized training camps and rigorous matches against varied international opponents.

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