JAKARTA President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) congratulated all players, athletes, officials, and the entire Indonesian football community. He is very happy with the success of the Indonesian U-22 football national team in winning a gold medal at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
"Congratulations, Garuda Muda!" Jokowi said on his Instagram account after the match ended, May 16, 2023.
The final match against Thailand which took place at the Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh took place dramatically. Indonesia had won 2 goals in the first half thanks to Ramadhan Sananta's goal.
However, Thailand managed to equalize through the headers of Anan Yongsangwal and Yotsakon Burapham during the final seconds of the second round of injury until finally the match continued into extra time.
The spirit of Garuda Muda has not subsided. Through the counter-attack scheme, Irfan Jauhari managed to add goals in the first half of the extra time. Fajar and Beckham Putra in the second half then completed Indonesia's victory over Thailand with a score of 5-3.
"I witnessed the struggle of the U-22 Indonesian National Team tensely but satisfied," said Jokowi.
"The struggle of young Indonesian football players at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia tonight was extraordinary. A dramatic match, which was colored by red card rain and yellow card, beautiful goals, even in extra time, was presented in 120 minutes," he continued.
It was noted that the Indonesian national team received five yellow cards and one red card. Meanwhile, the Thailand national team got eight yellow cards and three red cards.
Indonesia has been waiting 32 years to become the champion of the SEA Games football again. The golden sport was crushed last night, through a really dramatic final match," Jokowi said in his next upload.
The title, according to Jokowi, is the result of years of hard work by all parties through sustainable coaching and competition.
For this achievement, PSSI General Chair Erick Thohir also congratulated the U-22 Indonesian national team. Young Garuda have shown consistency and mentality of never giving up. Always rise and fight when conditions are difficult and unfavorable.
"It's like this mentality that we have to protect to become a bigger and respected nation at the world level," Erick said on his Instagram account on May 17, 2023.
"Right today, the Indonesian national team shows what it really means to rise up. Happy celebrating the results of your struggle, Garuda Muda. Mentally the winner has taken you to fly high," Erick added.
According to him, this is the starting point for the journey of the Indonesian football national team to reach higher hopes.
Since its first time in 1959, the Indonesian men's soccer national team has been a finalist for the SEA Games seven times, namely in 1979, 1987, 1991, 1997, 2011, 2013, and 2019.
However, only three times were won, SEA Games Jakarta 1987, SEA Games Manila in 1991, and SEA Games 2023.
In 1987, the Indonesian national team met Malaysia in the final match which took place at the Senayan Stadium, Jakarta, which is now known as the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on September 20.
The goal from Ribut Waidi in the extra time round was the determinant of Indonesia's victory over Malaysia with a score of 1-0.
Meanwhile, at the SEA Games Manila 1991, Indonesia had to struggle against Thailand in the final. According to a report from the Kompasedisi Thursday (December 5, 1991) entitled 'Football Completes Celebration', Garuda's team is forced to play more defensively. Every now and then Indonesia counterattacks.
Thailand's squad does have an advantage over individual engineering. However, this can be covered up thanks to the exact strategy approach implemented by Polosin, a tactician from the Soviet Union until finally Indonesia was able to bring home a gold medal through a penalty shootout drama.
The victory was repeated at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. This is certainly an extraordinary achievement especially since the Thai football team is known as king' in the SEA Games. Only Thailand has won the gold medal 16 times. Meanwhile, there are no other countries more than 10 times. The Malaysian men's soccer national team, which is in second place, has only won the gold medal six times.
The U-22 national team coach Indra Sjafri believes that one day Indonesian football will consistently continue to make achievements in line with the quality of the club and the quality of the competition which will improve in the future.
He also hopes that this achievement can be a momentum for the revival of Indonesian football.
"We make this a unifying to strengthen each other so that Indonesian football can rise up. Indonesia can, the spirit of never give up," he concluded.
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