Indonesia Wins 2023 SEA Games Gold Medal, Indra Sjafri: It’s a Medicine for Our Sorrow Canceled to Host the U-20 World Cup

The U-22 Indonesian National Team Coach for the 2023 SEA Games, Indra Sjafri. (Photo via Antara)

JAKARTA - The U-22 Indonesian national team has quenched the thirst for a gold medal in the SEA Games which has been going on for 32 years. After last winning it in 1991, the Red and White Squad again experienced the same achievement at the 2023 SEA Games Cambodia.

Indonesia won the gold medal after defeating Thailand with a score of 5-2 in the final which took place on Tuesday, May 16.

The coach of the U-22 national team, Indra Sjafri, said that the final match against Thailand was quite tense. He thought winning the match 5-2 was amazing.

"I hope that this victory will cure the grief that we did not host the U-20 World Cup," said Indra Sjafri after the match.

"But it is far more important, how can this golden victory be the momentum for the revival of Indonesian football going forward," he continued, as quoted from Antara.

The struggle of the Indonesian National Team to end the fasting for titles is extraordinary. How could it not be that the 2-1 victory that was in sight had to disappear after the Thai player Yotsakon was able to equalize at 2-2 so that an extension had to be made.

There had been an incident between the players and officials of the two teams and even the manager of the Indonesian U-22 national team Kombes Pol. Sumardji suffered a lip injury. This condition indeed made the situation heated up until the apparatus came down.

"In such a critical situation, I only speak to the players, stay focused, be patient and compact, do what we ask. After that we can win the game," said Indra Sjafri.

The victory clearly made the Indonesian people, both those who came to the stadium and those in the country, remember that the Garuda National Team has been the champion of the biennial championship for a very long time.