Thailand Not Afraid Of Indonesian National Team Supporters: They Like Us

Thailand U-23 coach, Thawatchai Damrong Ongtrakul, is not worried about fighting Indonesia U-23, which is supported by supporters (Instagram/@changsuek).

JAKARTA - Thailand U-23 has confirmed tickets to appear in the semifinals of the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup. Facing the U-23 Indonesian national team who is also the host at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, coach Thawatchai Damrong Ongtrakul believes his team is favored by the Indonesian supporter base.

The semifinal match between the Indonesian U-23 vs Thailand national team will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025, at 20.00 WIB. Will appear at the opponent's headquarters, Ongtrakul is well aware of the pressure that will arise.

He realized that supporters of the Garuda Squad were militants. However, he did not feel afraid or worried because according to him Indonesian fans also liked Thailand.

"Actually, it (playing in front of the Indonesian national team supporters in SUGBK) is a good thing. We have spoken to the captain that we want to play against Indonesia U-23 because they (Indonesian national team) have a large fan base."

"I believe that Indonesian fans also like us. We've been here since the start of the tournament and want to keep going."

"I think this is a good thing. I believe, if we want to win, we have to go through Indonesia U-23," Ongtrakul said on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

The Thai coach also revealed that one way to deal with the large pressure of the U-23 Indonesian national team supporters is to prepare the team's mentality well, without the need to constantly think about the opposing team.

"Tekanan adalah hal yang lain. Yang paling penting adalah kami melihat ke dalam diri kami sendiri."

"If we want to become champions, we must be ready to play in any conditions," said the coach.

In addition to the Indonesia U-23 vs Thailand U-23 match, on the same day, other semifinal parties will also be held between the Philippines U-23 vs Vietnam U-23.