U23 Indonesia worried about losing number one naturalized striker before the final

Striker Jens Raven and two other key players are injured, causing U23 Indonesia to face the risk of not having the strongest force when facing U23 Vietnam in the final match of U23 Southeast Asia 2025.

Jens Raven is injured and is at risk of missing the final.

Indonesia U23 suffered a serious loss after the thrilling victory over Thailand U23 in the semi-finals. Naturalized striker Jens Raven was injured at the end of the second extra time and is at risk of not being able to play in the final match against Vietnam U23.

Raven limped off the field with the help of a doctor and was unable to participate in the penalty shootout. Notably, the Dutch striker's knee was bandaged before the match, indicating the possibility of a recurrence of the injury.

Head of the Indonesian U23 delegation, Ahmed Zaki Iskandar, said the medical department will examine and further assess Jens Raven's injury today.

If he cannot play, this will be a big loss for U23 Indonesia. Jens Raven, born in 2005, is 1.89 meters tall. He is the main striker of the archipelago team in this tournament. The Dutch player scored 7 goals, including 6 goals against U23 Brunei and a goal in the semi-final match against U23 Thailand on July 25.

U23 Indonesia is not only worried about the possible absence of Jens Raven but also at risk of missing two important midfielders, Arkhan Fikri and Toni Firmansyah. Fikri has been absent since the last round of the group stage due to injury.

This player is considered to have the best ball-playing ability in the midfield. His absence caused U23 Indonesia to face many difficulties against U23 Malaysia and had to use alternative options such as Dony Pamungkas or Darwis in the midfield area.

Meanwhile, midfielder Firmansyah could not play in the semi-final. His position was replaced by Dominikus Dion. However, this replacement did not really bring about the expected results. Assistant coach Frank van Kempen admitted that after the long semi-final, the physical strength of the Indonesian players was seriously worn out.

The final match between U23 Indonesia and U23 Vietnam will take place at 8pm on July 29 at Bung Karno Stadium. If the key players do not recover in time, the home team may lose many advantages in their journey to conquer the throne.

Source: https://znews.vn/u23-indonesia-lo-mat-chan-sut-nhap-tich-so-mot-truoc-chung-ket-post1571995.html