Indonesian captain says surprising things about Vietnam team

Reach the final of AFF Cup 2024

The time when the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) announced the preliminary list of players preparing for the AFF Cup 2024 was also the time when many conflicting opinions appeared. Coach Shin Tae-yong called up a force with very young faces, including many players from the U.21 age group of this country's football. Among them, the two oldest names are quite familiar to Vietnamese players: winger Asnawi Mangkualam (born in 1999) and the owner of throw-ins that are no different from free kicks, Pratama Arhan (born in 2001). In addition, the three naturalized players are also very young, respectively Justin Hubner, Rafael Struick, both 21 years old, while Ivar Jenner is only 20 years old.

However, bringing a young force to the 2024 Southeast Asian Championship does not mean that the Indonesian team intends to "give up". In fact, the team from the archipelago country also has the task of asserting itself in the regional arena, when they have never won the championship. Coach Shin Tae-yong's best achievement since taking charge of the Indonesian team was reaching the final in 2020, and "taking a step back" when only reaching the semi-finals in 2022.

Coach Shin Tae-yong rejuvenates Indonesia's squad at AFF Cup 2024

PSSI leader, who often holds the position of head of delegation of Indonesian teams - Mr. Sumardji shared: "The goal of the Indonesian team is definitely to try to achieve the best. The Indonesian team must at least reach the final of the AFF Cup 2024. That is the goal that the Indonesian team can do, we need to be confident".

"Basically, calling up a large number of young players is aimed at first rejuvenating the squad, and secondly, preparing for the 33rd SEA Games which will take place in 2025. Besides, if we discover any players who play well at the AFF Cup and deserve to be called up to the national team, we will call them up, alongside the current key players," Mr. Sumardji added.

"Indonesia beats Vietnam easier..."

The goal is set, but it will not be easy for the Indonesian team to achieve it. With a squad of many young players, the team of the archipelago will face a big challenge when facing Thailand, Vietnam and even Malaysia.

In the 2024 AFF Cup group stage, the Indonesian team is in Group B with the Vietnamese team, along with Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines. The most notable match in this group is definitely the match between the Vietnamese team and Indonesia. These are two fateful opponents in the Southeast Asian region.

Asnawi Mangkualam (14) is the oldest person in the Indonesian team at the AFF Cup 2024.

In an interview with Thairath newspaper, defender Asnawi Mangkualam emphasized: "Many naturalized players have joined the Indonesian team, which is very good because they have made a lot of impact on the team's performance. Finally, we were able to win matches against the Vietnamese team. Now, things have started to get better as the Indonesian team can beat the Vietnamese team more easily than before. At that time, it was difficult for the Indonesian team to beat the Vietnamese team. Such victories help the Indonesian team a lot. The spirit and confidence of the Indonesian players have also increased, which is a positive thing."

Captain Asnawi Mangkualam has reason to be confident about the Indonesian team's performance against the Vietnamese team. The last time the Vietnamese team defeated the team from the archipelago was in 2023. In 2024, the Vietnamese team suffered 3 defeats against coach Shin Tae-yong's team, respectively at the Asian Cup (1 match, with a score of 0-1) and the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia (2 matches, 0-1 and 0-3 at My Dinh Stadium).

At the AFF Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team will host Indonesia at Viet Tri Stadium at 8:00 p.m. on December 15.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thu-quan-indonesia-noi-dieu-bat-ngo-ve-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-18524112609200598.htm