Indonesia U-23 Detained By A Series Without Goals By Laos, Not Just A Problem Of Finishing

JAKARTA - The U-23 Indonesian national team coach, Gerald Vanenburg, revealed the factors that made his team fail to score during the U-23 Laos meeting. He said the failure occurred not only because of finishing.

The U-23 Indonesian national team met Laos in the first match of the 2026 U-23 Asian Cup Qualification group phase. In the match which took place at Gelora Delta Stadium, Sidoarjo, Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the match ended with a score of 0-0.

With the status of the host, Indonesia U-23 actually dominated possession and attack. However, they still could not score against Laos which was guarded by Kop Lokphathip.

After the match, Gerald Vanenburg revealed several factors that made his team not appear as expected. According to this Dutch coach, Indonesia's failure to win against Laos is not just a matter of finishing.

"Yes, we can talk about the final settlement. It's not good enough. Against this team, we should be able to beat them easily. That's in my opinion."

"However, we didn't. So, there are many things we can talk about and it's not just a matter of finishing to score goals," Gerald Vanenburg said in a statement after the match, quoted Thursday, September 4, 2025.

Furthermore, Vanenburg also discussed the team's readiness. He assessed that the players failed to show the mentality and focus that had been emphasized previously.

"There are a lot of other things today. I don't think today we are ready, really not ready to be a team."

"I think it should come from within. That's what I've been saying in the past few days. I think we have a good team, much better than what we showed today," he said.

Vanenburg stressed that Garuda Muda must immediately rise and be aware of the mistakes that have occurred. He did not want to blame too much on other parties, but according to him Indonesia U-23 should be able to overcome teams like Laos.

"However, we have to get up and have to be aware because I don't think today is good enough. About how we scored, I think, yes, you know, I don't want to talk too much because I don't want to blame Laos."

"They are a team that we should be able to beat. It shouldn't be too difficult," he said again.

After a goalless draw in the inaugural match, the struggle of the Garuda Muda squad is still ongoing. They have been waiting for Macau on Saturday, September 6, 2025, to undergo the second match of the 2026 U-23 Asian Cup Qualification.