Indonesian League Drops Out of East Asia’s Top 10 After AFC Setbacks

According to Footy Ranking data, the Indonesian League has now dropped out of the top 10 leagues in the East Asian region — a significant blow to the progress of national football.

Madura United became the latest club unable to boost Indonesia’s reputation in Asian football after being eliminated in the AFC Challenge League semifinals. They suffered a 6-3 aggregate loss to Cambodia’s Svay Rieng, ending their continental campaign in disappointment.

This setback follows the earlier elimination of Persib Bandung, who exited the AFC Challenge League Two during the group stage, managing only one win in the process.

While PSSI continues to concentrate on strengthening the Indonesian national team, the overall quality of domestic club competitions appears to be in decline. Over the past five years, Indonesian clubs have consistently failed to deliver meaningful achievements across all levels of Asian club tournaments.

The recent failures in AFC competitions underline the urgent need for structural improvements and long-term strategies if Indonesian football wants to reclaim its position among Asia’s elite leagues.