Indonesian Women's National Team Must Win Against Vietnam To Keep The Hopes Alive At 2025 AFF Women's Cup

JAKARTA - The Indonesian women's national team suffered a crushing 0-7 defeat against Thailand in their first match of Group A of the 2025 ASEAN Women's Championship on August 6, 2025. This defeat left the Garuda Pertiwi team bottom of the standings with no points.

The head coach of the Indonesian women's national team, Joko Susilo, acknowledged that Thailand had indeed performed superiorly at Lach Tray Stadium in Haiphong.

"They played very well and deserved to win. However, we are certainly very disappointed with this defeat."

"The 0-7 scoreline was clearly not the result we expected, and it could have been avoided if the girls had played more calmly," said Joko.

According to him, the team's less than ideal preparation was the reason for the Indonesian women's national team's disappointing performance.

One reason was that several new players joined just days before the match. As a result, team cohesion was not yet established.

"I'm confident we can perform better than this. However, several players, especially those from abroad, only joined the training camp three to four days before the match."

"Going forward, we need more time and a process to build team cohesion. This defeat will serve as a basis for evaluation so we can perform better in the next match," said Joko.

Next, the Indonesian Women's National Team will face host Vietnam in their second Group A match, scheduled for Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 7:30 PM WIB.

Although Joko perceives Vietnam as stronger than Thailand, she admitted she isn't afraid. She is using the three-day break to prepare for the host nation.

Furthermore, the coach emphasized that his players must give their all in the match against Vietnam.

This match will determine the fate of the Garuda Pertiwi. If they fail to score, their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage are all but over.

"What we have done regarding the match is to improve and evaluate what we have learned from the previous match."

"We might change some players' positions, and some will change positions due to certain circumstances."

"Vietnam is much better than Thailand. However, as long as the players are disciplined, confident, and don't give up for 90 minutes, I think we still have a chance," said Joko.