U22 Vietnam’s major rival aims to defend the SEA Games gold medal

24/10/2025 15:42:00 SportScoop

U22 Indonesia will begin their campaign to defend the men’s football gold at the 2025 SEA Games, held in Bangkok (Thailand) from December 3 to 18, 2025. Coach Indra Sjafri’s squad is placed in Group C with Myanmar, the Philippines, and Singapore.

Beyond having a carefully selected group of players, U22 Indonesia also boasts an experienced coaching team, including many famous former Indonesian football legends such as Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto, Bima Sakti, Zulkifli Syukur, Sahari Gultom, and Alex Aldha.

Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto is regarded as one of Indonesia’s football legends. The striker, born in 1976, scored 33 goals in 59 appearances for the national team and had playing stints in Europe with Sampdoria and FC Luzern. After retiring, he moved into coaching and served as an assistant for the youth team at Como 1907 (Italy).

Assistant coach Bima Sakti of the U22 Indonesia team. Photo: Bola

Bima Sakti is also a familiar name to fans. Coming from the PSSI Primavera training program like Kurniawan, he played for Sampdoria Primavera and Helsingborg IF before returning to play for Indonesia’s national team and several major domestic clubs. In his coaching career, Bima has led the U17 team and supported the U22 squad at the 2023 SEA Games.

In defense, former right-back Zulkifli Syukur contributes his experience from 32 national team appearances. He began his coaching career in 2022 and has held positions as both head coach and assistant at various teams.

Goalkeeper coach Sahari Gultom is responsible for the goalkeeping position of U22 Indonesia. Although he has only one national team cap, he is a familiar figure at many top clubs and has extensive experience training goalkeepers since 2015.

Fitness coach Alex Aldha Yudi previously assisted coach Shin Tae-yong and joined Indra Sjafri in helping U23 Indonesia win the SEA Games gold in 2023. He holds an AFC A coaching license and currently teaches at Negeri Padang University.

The collaboration between head coach Indra Sjafri and his long-time colleagues is expected to give U22 Indonesia greater confidence as they pursue the goal of successfully defending their gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games.

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