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On 9/9, Indonesia suffered another 0-1 defeat to South Korea in the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. This result meant they finished second in Group J behind South Korea, failing to secure a spot in the finals. This performance greatly disappointed Indonesian fans, marking a regression compared to the previous tournament where Indonesia reached the finals and finished fourth overall. |
On 29/7, Indonesia lost 0-1 to Vietnam on home turf at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, during the AFF U23 Championship final. The sole goal of the match was scored by midfielder Nguyen Cong Phuong in the 37th minute.
In 2023, Indonesia also lost to Vietnam in the AFF U23 Championship final, with a 5-6 scoreline after a penalty shootout.
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On 12/12, Indonesia defeated Myanmar 3-1, but it was not enough to advance past the SEA Games 33 group stage. Their U22 team finished second in Group C with three points and a +1 goal difference, falling short of rival Malaysia by one goal, thus failing in the race for the best-performing second-placed team. In the previous tournament, in 2023 in Cambodia, Indonesia won the championship by defeating Thailand in the final. |
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In early October, Indonesia lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia and 0-1 to Iraq in two matches of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, shattering their dream of reaching the world's biggest international tournament.
This was Indonesia's most significant defeat, coming after considerable effort to naturalize several European-born players and even facing criticism for sacking coach Shin Tae-yong to appoint Dutch manager Patrick Kluivert.
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Ngoc Tuan
Photos: Bola, JP
