Mr. Erick Thohir wants U23 to play fiercely to win the championship - Photo: AFP
U23 Indonesia will face U23 Vietnam in the final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship at 8:00 p.m. on July 29.
Erick Thohir’s call came after the Indonesian team had a dramatic victory over Thailand in the semi-finals. The home team defeated their opponents 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes of play.
This is the third time U23 Indonesia has reached the final of the tournament, after 2019 and 2023.
"We are the hosts. Don't let them trample us right in our home ground. If they play tough, we will also respond tough. This does not mean injuring the opponent, but we must be brave enough to play tough," Mr. Erick Thohir emphasized to Antara newspaper.
In 2019, U23 Indonesia won the first championship after defeating Thailand in Cambodia. However, four years later in 2023 in Thailand, the team led by coach Shin Tae Yong lost to U23 Vietnam 5-6 in a penalty shootout, thereby missing out on the title.
Mr. Thohir believes that the current situation is different and called on the players to pay back the "debt" of the past. "In the tournament in Thailand, the match was very fierce. This time, if they play rough, we will respond accordingly," the 55-year-old president affirmed.
Ahead of the final match, president Erick Thohir also has high expectations for U23 Indonesia.
He stressed the importance of the players' physical recovery. "I hope the team will focus on recovery, because I think the players are exhausted. Good recovery will help avoid further unnecessary injuries, especially when we have lost two key players," he explained.
At the same time, he hopes that the two strikers Jens Raven and Hokky Caraka will play more confidently in the upcoming match and expressed his great wish that U23 Indonesia will lift the championship trophy for the second time right at home.
Indonesian football has always been famous for its "hard-hitting" style of play. They have also demonstrated this style in many matches at this year's tournament. So this will be an extremely worrying thing for coach Kim Sang Sik's team in the upcoming final match.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chu-tich-pssi-muon-u23-indonesia-khong-ngai-da-ran-truoc-u23-viet-nam-20250726183758145.htm
Comment (0)