"Watching live in the stadium is much better than watching on TV," Rakabuming told Antara. "If Indonesia's U23 team plays explosively, they could win 3-0 against Vietnam's U23 team. But Gerald Vanenburg's players need enthusiastic support from tens of thousands of fans at Bung Karno Stadium."
Rakabuming is the eldest son of President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana. He is the youngest vice president in Indonesian history, taking office in 10/2024, after three years as mayor of Surakarta.
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Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (left). Photo: CNNIndonesia |
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (left). Photo: CNNIndonesia
Coach Vanenburg shared Rakabuming's view, predicting that Indonesia would defeat Vietnam within 90 minutes. The Dutch coach doesn't want the match to go into extra time and penalties. "Then, the match will depend on the players' mentality and luck," Vanenburg said.
In the semi-final, Indonesia beat Thailand 7-6 in a penalty shootout on the evening of 25/7. Vanenburg said he didn't have his players practice penalties before the match against Vietnam. "But if we still have to go to penalties, we will win," the 61-year-old coach said.
Experts also believe the trophy will stay in Indonesia. On the Indonesian version of CNN, sports reporter M Rizki H predicted Vanenburg's squad would win 3-1.
His colleague, Nova Arifianto, suggested Vietnam would pose a challenge for Indonesia, leading to a 2-2 draw. "Vietnam hasn't faced a worthy opponent in this tournament yet, having only played against Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines," Arifianto wrote.
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Midfielder Viktor Le (right) during the Southeast Asian U23 semi-final against the Philippines at Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia, on the afternoon of 25/7/2025. Photo: Hai Tu |
Midfielder Viktor Le (right) during the Southeast Asian U23 semi-final against the Philippines at Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia, on the afternoon of 25/7/2025. Photo: Hai Tu
Reporter Surya Sumirat believes Indonesia will win 3-2, provided they score first. "Vietnam is like Thailand, so Indonesia cannot afford to waste opportunities. If Vietnam scores first, it will be very difficult for Indonesia to turn things around," Sumirat stated.
Reporter Jun Mahres predicted a heated and intense match: "Vietnam is likely to play rough to disrupt Indonesia's confidence and tactics. Therefore, Jens Raven and his teammates must stay calm and composed in the face of Vietnam's temptations and provocations. If Indonesia wastes opportunities, disaster could strike. I predict Indonesia will win 2-1."
Haryanto Tri Wibowo also predicted the same score in the newspaper: "With the strongest squad, Indonesia's chances of winning are much higher than Vietnam's. But if the match goes into extra time and penalties, the opponent's chances will increase."
Vietnam and Indonesia are both former champions of this tournament. Indonesia won in 2019 after beating Thailand 2-1 in the final. Vietnam won in 2022 and 2023, defeating Thailand and Indonesia respectively in the final matches. This is the second consecutive time these two teams have met in the final.
Hoang An (according to CNNIndonesia)
