Indonesia's main striker recovers quickly, ready to threaten Vietnam U23's defense

Raven has been practicing fully with his teammates.

Before the final of the U23 Southeast Asia, the biggest concern for Indonesia is probably Jens Raven. This striker suffered a muscle spasm in the semi-final against Thailand and even had to move while holding his thigh in the final minutes.

With only 3 days to prepare for the final, fans of the archipelago have reason to worry about this case. However, the naturalized Dutch striker has brought them good news with the statement that he is "fit enough to play in the final".

He appeared in the recent training session of U23 Indonesia with his leg bandaged. But Raven still wore his shoes and did the same exercises as his teammates. When the president of the Indonesian Football Federation, Erick Thohir, came and asked, Raven confidently replied: "Yes sir, I am fit enough to play in the final."

Jens Raven's response was a breath of fresh air for coach Gerald Vanenburg and the home team's fans. Because he is considered to hold all of Indonesia's attacking power. This striker scored 7 of Indonesia's 10 goals since the beginning of the tournament, including 6 goals against Brunei.

In the semi-final match against Thailand, Raven was the most prominent factor in the attack. In the 30th minute, he skillfully headed the ball to the post and in the 84th minute, he sneaked in to head the equalizer to open the comeback for U23 Indonesia.

Raven is currently leading the league's scoring charts. With the next striker only having 3 goals, it can be said that Raven is firmly in the driver's seat for this individual award.

With positive signs, Raven is almost certain to appear in the final tonight. And this Dutch-born striker promises to bring a lot of pressure to the U23 Vietnam midfielders, who have not really played safely since the beginning of the tournament. In addition to Raven, Indonesia is also waiting for midfielders Arkhan Fikri and Toni Firmansyah to fully recover from their injuries.

Watch the full 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Football Championship Mandiri Cup™ live onFPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn