The past few weeks were all about growth, battle and valuable international experience for the Indonesian women's national team. During the FIFA Women's Series 2026 in Thailand, Garuda Pertiwi got another chance to test themselves against strong opponents at international level. The tournament brought beautiful moments, hard lessons and above all a lot of motivation for the future.
For me personally, it was an experience I will never forget.
A Tough Start Against DR Congo
On April 12th we kicked off the tournament with an enormous challenge. In the semi-final we faced DR Congo, a physically strong team that pressed hard from the very first minute. We ended up losing the match 1-7. That's a result that hurts, especially because we all wanted to show what we can do as a team.
There were positive moments too. Claudia Scheunemann showed her quality once again by scoring early from the penalty spot. That gave us confidence, but it also became clear that we as a team still have a lot of room to grow at international level.
For me personally, this was perhaps one of the toughest matches I have ever played. Just three days before the game I arrived from Europe in Thailand. The temperature difference was enormous — from around 10 degrees to 36 degrees in full sun. You feel that immediately in your body.
We were also under a lot of pressure as a team, which meant I constantly had to track back and defend. Normally my strength lies in attacking play, creating chances and looking for one-on-one situations. In the heat and with the large spaces on the pitch, that became incredibly difficult. It was a tough match, but at the same time an important reality check that only makes you stronger as a player.
Showing Character Against New Caledonia
What really shows what a team is made of is how they respond after a setback. Three days later, we got the chance to bounce back against New Caledonia in the third-place playoff.
From the first minute you could feel that everyone wanted to make things right. We played with more confidence, more energy and above all more courage. You could see that immediately in our play.
Going forward things ran much better and the combination up front felt strong. Claudia played me through with a perfect pass and I had a great chance one-on-one with the keeper. I was also able to contribute with a sharp cross that Claudia converted.
With strong teamwork, great energy and two important goals from Sheva, we managed to win the match and secure third place. Emily Nahon also made an important contribution to the victory. It was great to see how we bounced back as a team after the disappointment of a few days earlier.
More Than Just Football
The FIFA Women's Series was ultimately about much more than winning or losing. These kinds of international tournaments show exactly where you stand as a team and as an individual.
For Indonesia, this is an important step towards the future of women's football. The combination of local talent and players from the diaspora creates a new dynamic within the team. Everyone brings different experiences, qualities and mentality. That's exactly why we learn so much from each other in every match.
A Learning Ground for the Future
Of course the conditions were tough. The heat, the high tempo and the international level made the tournament extremely intense. But these are exactly the experiences needed to become stronger as a team.
We now know better where our areas for improvement lie, but also where our strength is. And that is perhaps the most important thing we take away from Thailand.
This tournament was not an endpoint, but a beginning. A learning ground. A step forward for Garuda Pertiwi.
We keep growing. We keep learning. And we are far from finished.
