Ahead Of Indonesia U-23 Vs Australia, Shin Tae-yong: This Is An Important Match, We Must Win

JAKARTA - Indonesia's U-23 national team coach Shin Tae-yong believes his squad can beat Australia in the Group G match of the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup Qualification in Tajikistan today.

"We recognize that Australia is a strong team. However, if we work hard and believe in ourselves, we will definitely get the best results," said Shin, quoted by Antara from the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) page, Tuesday.

The South Korean tactician said that his foster children had prepared well for the match.

The Garuda Muda squad arrived early in Tajikistan to adapt to the environment.

Witan Sulaeman and his friends have also undergone two test matches, namely against the hosts Tajikistan and Nepal, and managed to beat their opponents with a score of 2-1 and 2-0, respectively.

Victory over Australia is the target because only the winners of Group G will qualify for the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup finals. Garuda Muda will face Australia twice, today and next Friday.

This is because Group G is only filled with Australia and Indonesia after two other teams, namely China and Brunei Darussalam, decided to withdraw from the competition.

"This match is very important for us because two opponents have withdrawn. We have to beat Australia," said Shin.

If they manage to qualify for the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup, which will be held in June 2022 in Uzbekistan, it will be Indonesia's first appearance in the tournament.

Previously, the Garuda Muda squad had always failed to advance from the qualifying phase.