Failure at SEA Games 33: Two U22 coaches sacked.
The football federations of Myanmar and Indonesia have officially terminated the contracts of coaches Kurosaki and Indra Sjafri following the poor performance of their U22 teams at the 33rd SEA Games.
U22 Myanmar bid farewell to coach Kurosaki
The Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) has announced that it has reached an agreement to terminate the contract with Japanese coach Hisashi Kurosaki following the disappointing performance of the national U22 team.
Mr. Kurosaki, 57, was appointed in February 2025 on a one-year contract, responsible for leading the team at the 2025 SEA Games, the Southeast Asian U23 Championship, and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Qualifiers. However, the Myanmar U22 team was eliminated in the group stage of the 33rd SEA Games after losing both matches against the Philippines and Indonesia. The team also failed to advance beyond the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Qualifiers and the group stage of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.
Coach Indra Sjafri also stepped down from his position as head coach of the Indonesian U22 team.
Similarly, the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) also decided to terminate its cooperation with head coach Indra Sjafri. The decision was made after the Indonesian U22 team failed to advance beyond the group stage of the 2025 SEA Games, winning only one match out of two.
The departure of coach Indra Sjafri came as a surprise, as he was considered one of the most successful strategists in Indonesian youth football. He led the Indonesian U19 team to victory in the 2013 AFF U19 Championship, the 2019 AFF U22 Championship, and notably, a historic gold medal win at the 2023 SEA Games with the U22 team. He also made significant contributions to training the next generation of players for the national team.
