Taking Care of the ‘Shoots’ of the Golden Generation

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Indonesia's U-16 player Muhammad Kafiatur Rizky overcomes the obstacles of Vietnam's U-16 players in the final of the U-16 AFF Cup at Maguwoharjo Stadium, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Friday (12/8/2022).

After winning the 2022 edition of the AFF U-16 Championship, the Indonesian squad is expected to grow into a new force in the national stream.

SLEMAN, KOMPAS — The Indonesian U-16 players who made history by winning the AFF U-16 Cup for second time are the new shoots of a golden generation of the national team. After becoming the youth football champions in Southeast Asia, the task of coach Bima Sakti and the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) will become even more difficult, because they must keep the players from wilting before they develop into professional players.

Indonesia has now equaled the achievements of Myanmar, Malaysia and Australia, all of which have also won twice.

The Indonesian team made its golden achievement by defeating Vietnam 1-0 in the final on Friday evening (12/8/2022) at Maguwoharjo Stadium in Sleman, Yogyakarta Special Region. Indonesia won its second trophy in the most junior general tournament in Southeast Asia. Indonesia has now equaled the achievements of Myanmar, Malaysia and Australia, all of which have also won twice.

Muhammad Iqbal Gwijangge and his teammates repeated the achievements made by the Indonesia 2018 U-16 team, which won the first U-16 AFF Cup.

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Bima revealed that he told his players not to be arrogant and to stay humble, despite their success. He added that winning the U-16 AFF Cup was just the beginning of their long journey in professional football.

"I forbid the players from showing too much euphoria. So in the dressing room, they just bowed in gratitude and no one danced. We will draw up a program road map to qualify for the 2023 U-17 Asian Cup," Bima told a press conference after the final.

Indonesia is hosting the 2023 U-17 Asian Cup qualifying round, which will take place in October, when the "Garuda Muda" (Young Garudas) will meet with the teams from the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Malaysia, and Guam.

Bima's advice to his players is understandable, because not all Indonesia 2018 U-16 alumni were able to meet the expectation of becoming part of a new generation of the Indonesian national team.

To illustrate, of the 14 players who played in the 2018 AFF U-16 Cup final against Thailand on 11 Aug. 2018 at Gelora Delta Stadium in Sidoarjo, East Java, only the goalkeeper, Ernando Ari Sutaryadi, has been promoted to the next age group or even to the senior national team.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Indonesian U-16 M player Riski Faisal tries to get past Vietnam U-16 player Nguyen Huu Trong in the U-16 AFF Cup final at Maguwoharjo Stadium, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Friday (12/8/2022).

Ernando, who plays for Persebaya Surabaya, has played two matches with the senior national team. He became a Garuda member at the 2020 AFF Cup and was Indonesia's main goalkeeper at the last SEA Games in Vietnam.

Apart from Ernando, only three other former Indonesia 2018 U-16 players appear regularly in Liga 1. They are Bagas Kaffa, who plays for Barito Putera, Faja Fatur Rahman, who wears the Borneo uniform, and Andre Oktaviansyah, who played for Persikabo 1973 last season and has since been transferred to Persebaya Surabaya.

The three respectively played 35 matches, 25 matches and 24 matches in Indonesia's top football level. In fact, Fajar was named the best young player in the first and third weeks of Liga 1 2022-2023.

This is seen from the fact that Bagus has not been called by coach Shin Tae-yong after his disappointing performances in two U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers against Australia at the end of October 2021.

The best player in the 2018 AFF U-16 Cup, Bagus Kahfi, has been inable to improve his performance to enter the senior team. This is seen from the fact that Bagus has not been called by coach Shin Tae-yong after his disappointing performances in two U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers against Australia at the end of October 2021.

Bagus also failed to penetrate the Netherlands’ Jong Utrecht team. Now, he is continuing his career in Greece.

To ensure that the 2022 generation of Indonesian U-16 players continue to develop, PSSI chairman Mochamad Iriawan has assigned PSSI secretary-general Yunus Nusi and PSSI technical director Indra Sjafri to develop a sustainability program for Bima's team.

"We will prepare a program to help them develop to become part of the next U-19 national team. The program will not only continue to hone their playing skills, but also physical condition, such as height growth," said Iriawan.

Balanced Play

The final match at the 2022 AFF-16 championship produced an ideal result because of the balanced performance shown by both the Indonesian and Vietnamese teams. Unlike their first meeting in the qualifier, when Bima instructed his squad to be on the attack, Indonesia played more cautiously in the final.

Bima did not ask his players to continue the pressure when they lost the ball. After 20 minutes of the match, Indonesia took a deeper defensive position and awaited the attack of the Vietnamese “Golden Star Troops”. This strategy was also applied in the second half after scoring one goal.

The balanced performance was shown in the ball possession stats, with Indonesia and Vietnam had both been in possession 50 percent of the ball at 90 minutes.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Indonesia and Vietnam U-16 players chase the ball in the U-16 AFF Cup final at Maguwoharjo Stadium, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Friday (12/8/2022).

In terms of creating opportunities, Garuda Muda was only able to create five chances, a far cry from the record of more than 10 shots in the previous four games.

Meanwhile, Vietnam made seven attempts at goal. Indonesia's defensive play in the second half proved difficult for Vietnam, as it only produced two shots after the break.

It was the third goal of the Borneo U-16 player in the 2022 AFF U-16 Cup.

Indonesia's goal was scored by midfielder Muhammad Kafiatur Rizky, with his left foot in the 45+2 minute. It was the third goal of the Borneo U-16 player in the 2022 AFF U-16 Cup.

In addition to a balanced game, there was also a chaos during the match. Vietnam coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan and Indonesian winger Muhammad Riski Afrisal were given red cards by Lao referee Xaypaseth Phongsanit.

"Vietnam played very well. However, all of my kids were able to focus from minute to minute and displayed extraordinary efforts," said Bima.

KOMPAS/MUHAMMAD IKHSAN MAHAR

Coach Bima Sakti.

Quoc Tuan said he was disappointed because his side failed to win the title. However, he wanted his team to not be disillusioned and immediately prepare to win a ticket to the 2023 U-17 Asian Cup.

"This tournament has taught us many lessons, especially playing under pressure from the fans and poor refereeing," said Quoc Tuan.