Big boss encourages U23 Indonesia

President of the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI), Mr. Erick Thohir, said that the defeat of U23 Indonesia in the final of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship is a valuable lesson for the upcoming journey of young players.

The only goal helped U23 Vietnam win the Southeast Asian Championship. On the evening of July 29, the U23 Vietnam team defeated Indonesia 1-0 in the final of the 2025 Southeast Asian Championship held at Bung Karno Stadium.

“Thank you to the players, coaches and officials of the Indonesian U23 team for your tireless efforts in this tournament. And of course, thank you to the fans for always supporting us. No matter the result, we will always stand by the team,” Mr. Thohir shared after the final match on the evening of July 29.

U23 Indonesia suffered a 0-1 defeat to U23 Vietnam right at Bung Karno Stadium. The only goal was scored by Nguyen Cong Phuong in the 37th minute, helping the red team win the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

This is the second consecutive time that U23 Indonesia has lost to Vietnam in the regional final. Last year, at the tournament held in Thailand, the team from the archipelago lost after a tense penalty shootout.

Despite not being able to win the cup on home soil, Mr. Thohir remains optimistic. The head of Indonesian football said that the team will draw many experiences from this tournament to aim for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers in September, as well as the 33rd SEA Games held in Thailand later this year.

Despite the defeat, U23 Indonesia still received enthusiastic cheers from tens of thousands of home fans. The applause when the final whistle blew showed the faith and support that fans have for the promising young players of the archipelago's football.

Source: https://znews.vn/sep-lon-khich-le-u23-indonesia-post1572644.html