Indonesia's Young Guns Shine Bright at 2023 AFC Asian Cup: A Glimpse into Their Coming of Age

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup has witnessed the emergence of Indonesia's youthful football team, capturing attention with their energetic and dynamic play. Despite being the youngest among the 24 participating nations, their performance suggests a team coming of age on the international stage. In a crucial Group D encounter against Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam, Indonesia secured a gritty 1-0 victory, marking their first Asian Cup appearance since 2007. The decisive moment came in the 42nd minute when captain Asnawi Mangkualam calmly converted a penalty, showcasing a level of maturity beyond their years.


This win positions Indonesia favorably for potential advancement to the knockout stage, despite a challenging final group clash with Japan. The team's resilience and determination were evident as they weathered Vietnamese attempts to level the score. Notably, the defense, anchored by seasoned campaigner Jordi Amat, proved formidable. When Amat had to be replaced due to injury, substitutes like Rizky Ridho seamlessly stepped up, underscoring the depth of Indonesia's squad.

The influence of coach Shin Tae-Yong, who previously led South Korea at the 2018 World Cup, has played a pivotal role in Indonesia's transformation. Focusing on nurturing a talented group of youngsters, Tae-Yong has crafted a team that, despite its relative youth, exudes both skill and mental resilience. Rising stars like Pratama Arhan and Marselino Ferdinan showcased their prowess in pressure situations during the match against Vietnam.

The victory holds additional significance as it breaks a historical trend, with Indonesia not having won in their past six encounters with Vietnam. This triumph symbolizes a turning point and emphasizes the team's readiness to compete with Asia's football elite. As they face a formidable Japanese side in the final group stage match, Indonesia aims to build on their impressive run and make a lasting impact on the Asian football landscape. The journey of Indonesia's football team reflects not just participation but a maturing process on the grand stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

The Golden Star Warriors had a particularly bad performance, with a mistake in defence giving away a penalty kick to Indonesia, as well as the solitary goal for the Garudas courtesy of Asnawi Mangkualam.
Both Southeast Asian teams started the tournament with a loss against greater oppositions: while Indonesia lost 1-3 against Iraq, Việt Nam suffered a 2-4 defeat at the hands of Japan, despite at times leading against the four-time Asian Cup winners.
Multiple changes were made to Philippe Troussier's starting eleven, with captain Đỗ Hùng Dũng benched in place of Nguyễn Quang Hải. Nguyễn Đình Bắc, who was Việt Nam's best player in the first match, suffered an injury and was replaced by Nguyễn Văn Tùng.
Indonesia, on the other hand, brought Belgian-born Sandy Walsh and Egy Maulana to the lineup, opting for an attacking mentality.
Shin Tae-yong's team stuck to their plan, and surprisingly, put Việt Nam under pressure right in the first moments. A great pass from the Indonesian midfield found Rafael Struick through on goal, and forced a save from Nguyễn Filip.
Việt Nam, despite holding on to more possession, had difficulties advancing the ball into Indonesia's final third. The Golden Star Warriors' only attempt on goal, was a header from Phạm Tuấn Hải, which went right at the Indonesian keeper Ernando Ari.
While the men in red still could not penetrate the Indonesian defence, a clumsy mistake by a Vietnamese defender gave Shin Tae-yong's men the lead.
In the 40th minute, Nguyễn Thanh Bình pulled Struick's shirt inside the penalty area. Referee Sadullo Gulmurodi was nearby and pointed to the penalty spot. A somewhat nervous Asnawi converted the kick and made it 1-0 to Indonesia right before the break.
Troussier subbed in Khuất Văn Khang and Lê Phạm Thành Long at half-time, hoping to regain control of the game. A flurry of chances came the Golden Star Warriors' way, but the men in red still could not find their way to Ari's goal.
While Việt Nam kept on pushing forward, and held on to around sixty per cent of possession, Indonesian players tried to stall the game as much as possible, to slow down Việt Nam's pace.
The men in red suffered more difficulties, as Lê Phạm Thành Long received a second yellow card and was sent off after a challenge in the final minutes.
Ten minutes were added on as a result of Indonesia's time wasting plays, and although Việt Nam even sent Nguyễn Filip into the opposition box in the dying seconds, Ari and the Indonesian defence stayed strong in clutch time and secured the 1-0 victory.
"I am very sad and disappointed because the team played better in the second half," said defender Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh after the match.
"We aimed for three points but we cannot make it, and the team have to try harder in the last match," Việt Anh added.
With this defeat, Việt Nam is eliminated from the Asian Cup. The team will have their last match against Iraq on January 24. Iraq, who beat Japan 2-1 in the earlier fixture, have secured qualification to the Round of 16. VNS