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| Asnawi Mangkualam scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot on Friday to hand Indonesia 1-0 win over Vietnam that comes as a huge boost to their prospects of reaching the 2023 AFC Asian Cup knockout round. KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images |
They are the youngest team out of all 24 at the tournament -- but the bright talents of Indonesia could just be coming of age at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
And rather than just being in Qatar for a learning experience -- in what is their first Asian Cup appearance since 2007 -- they might just be staying on for a while longer.
With a gritty 1-0 win over Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam on Friday, Merah Putih picked up an all-important win that will stand them in good stead in their quest to make it out of the group stage.
While the top two teams in each of the six groups are guaranteed a spot in the round of 16, the four best-performing third-place teams will also progress -- with history suggesting that three points is usually enough for a decent chance.
By beating Vietnam, the Indonesians have that in the bag ahead of a daunting final Group D clash with Japan.
Their cause will not be helped by the fact that the Japanese will be going all out for the win as they too need a victory badly, after falling to a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Iraq earlier in the day.
Which is what makes the victory over Vietnam all the more crucial.
Indonesia had already given an excellent account of themselves on Monday despite losing 3-1 Iraq, with an equally plucky performance where they regularly looked dangerous on the counterattack.
Surprisingly, they were not as fluid against the Vietnamese although the familiarity between the two teams perhaps contributed to what turned out to be a battle of attrition.
Instead, what really stood out for Indonesia was determination and maturity that belied their tender years.
The game's pivotal moment came in the 42nd minute when Indonesia captain Asnawi Mangkualam calmly converted from the penalty spot, after Rafael Struick had pounced on some hesitant defending by Nguyễn Thanh Bình before being dragged down inside the area by the Vietnam centre-back.
But thereafter, they then had to keep their composure as the Vietnamese looked to hit back.
It always helps to have some seasoned campaigners to rely on and it was easy to see why Jordi Amat -- a veteran with experience in both the Premier League and LaLiga -- was so heavily coveted once it was known that he had Indonesian heritage before he was eventually naturalised two years ago.
Amat proved impassable in the heart of Indonesia's five-man defence but, when he had to be replaced after taking a painful blow to the face, others had to step up in the final 20 minutes.
Rizky Ridho took over both his place on the field and the captain's armband that Amat had originally inherited from Asnawi and barely missed a beat.
Fellow rising stars such as Pratama Arhan and Marselino Ferdinan also proved to be savvy in testing situations throughout the game and it was Vietnam who would buckle under the high-stakes nature of the contest -- with substitute Lê Phạm Thành Long sent off for a second bookable offence just as the clock ticked over into stoppage time.
Right at the death, Vietnam threatened one final time when a freekick on the left wing was sent flying towards goal Vũ Văn Thanh and looked destined to find the top corner only for Ernando Ari, all of 21 years, to produce a stunning save to preserve Indonesia's lead -- and the win.
For quite some time now, Vietnam -- along with Thailand -- have been Southeast Asia's leading duo.
Indonesia had not won their past six encounters with the Vietnamese with their last victory prior to Friday coming back in December 2016.
There was even a humbling 4-0 loss in June 2021 in the Asian qualifiers for the last FIFA World Cup that, at the time, really illustrated the gulf in quality between the two teams.
Yet, even then, Indonesia were already showing glimpses of their potential following the appointment of Shin Tae-Yong, who had coached South Korea at the 2018 World Cup.
He immediately shifted the focus to bringing through a talented group of youngsters and that has meant that, despite their relative youth, the current Indonesia team is far from inexperienced.
Now, on Asian football's biggest stage, they could not have chosen a better time to come of age.
- Gabriel Tan
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