Laos U23 goalkeeper makes surprising statement after shocking Indonesia U23

(Dan Tri) - Lao national team goalkeeper Kop Lokphathip revealed the reason why he and his teammates were able to draw with the U23 Indonesia team in the opening match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers on the evening of September 3.

"First of all, I am very happy to have helped the team and the country. This result is not only thanks to me. All the players and the coaching staff played an important role. Every member of the team was the best player of this match," goalkeeper Kop Lokphathip expressed after being honored as the best player of the match between U23 Laos and U23 Indonesia at Gelora Delta Stadium (Indonesia).

Goalkeeper Kop Lokphathip was honored as the best player in the match between U23 Laos and U23 Indonesia (Photo: Bola).

Although U23 Indonesia dominated the game and played completely dominantly throughout the match, the excellent performance of goalkeeper Kop Lokphathip prevented the team from scoring a single goal and disappointingly shared points in the opening match.

According to Opta , the 19-year-old goalkeeper of the Lao national team had at least 6 saves for his team. One of Kop Lokphathip's best saves in the match came in the 80th minute, when he jumped high to block a powerful shot from midfielder Rayhan Hanan of the Indonesian U23 team.

With only one point in the opening match, U23 Indonesia is at a big disadvantage to get a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals when they have to face Macau (China) and South Korea in the next two matches.

U23 Indonesia (red shirt) had difficulty scoring against U23 Laos in the opening match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers (Photo: PSSI).

Notably, President of the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI), Erik Thohir, expressed regret at the team's disappointing results.

"The U23 Indonesia team played offensively from the start, creating many opportunities, but could not take advantage of them until the end of the match, finally accepting a 0-0 draw against Laos," Mr. Erick Thohir emphasized.

"However, there are still two more matches against Macau and South Korea. The national U23 team must come back strong and perform their best in the remaining matches to qualify for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals. Keep up the good work, Garuda Muda," the PSSI president added.

The defeat to Laos left U23 Indonesia in second place in Group J of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. South Korea, which won 5-0 against Macau, leads the standings with 3 points.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/thu-mon-u23-lao-tuyen-bo-bat-ngo-sau-khi-khien-u23-indonesia-nhan-cu-soc-20250903234242215.htm