Ever Handling Indonesia U-23, Aji Santoso Reveals Thai Power That Must Be Watched Out For
JAKARTA - Ahead of the match against Thailand U-23, the former U-23 Indonesian national team coach, Aji Santoso, revealed the opponent's strength that must be watched out for by Garuda Muda. Both teams will meet in the semifinals of the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, Friday, July 25, 2025.
Aji Santoso, who is currently Persela Lamongan's coach, said that the Garuda Muda squad must be aware of Thailand's good possession capabilities.
"Kita tahu tim Thailand ini memiliki penguasan bola yang sangat bagus. Ini yang membahayakan apalagi kalau dia berani melakukan ball position di daerah pertahanan Indonesia, itu yang perlu diantisipasi," ucap Aji Santoso dikutip pada Kamis, 24 Juli 2025.
Statistically, Thailand is quite impressive. Of the two matches in Group C of the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup, the Young War Elephant troops averaged 59 percent of the ball.
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"So, Thailand is also a good team. Of course, how to deal with the Thai team, the coach already knows what Indonesian players have to do on the field."
"So, in my opinion, the most important thing is how players can perform optimally, carry out the coach's instructions well, they can anticipate the strengths of Thailand," said Aji.
The meeting in the semifinals will be the third meeting between Indonesia vs Thailand in the AFF U-23 Cup. The first meeting of the two teams took place in the 2019 edition, when the U-23 Indonesian national team coached by Indra Sjafri defeated Thailand 2-1 in the final match.
Then, the second meeting took place in the 2023 edition. The U-23 Indonesian national team coached by Shin Tae-yong defeated Thailand in the semifinals with a score of 3-1.