Feeling Cheated In The 2023 AFF U-23 Cup Final, The Indonesian National Team Is Asked To No Longer Join

The U-23 Indonesian national team faced Vietnam in the 2023 AFF U-23 Cup final. (photo: instantogram.com/@pssi)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian national team is asked to consider no longer participating in follow-up tournaments held by the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF). This was revealed by the President of Madura United, Achsanul Qosasi following the fraud committed by the Vietnam national team in the final of the AFF U-23 Cup. In the final match at Rayong Province Stadium, Thailand on Saturday, August 26 evening U-23 Vietnam defender, Nguyen Hong Phuc, committed a dangerous act against Haykal Alhafiz.

He hit Haykal Alhafiz's head with his elbows during the game with 113 minutes. The player from PSIS Semarang had to receive treatment from the Indonesian national team's medical team.

Seeing the hard action, the Japanese referee, Hiroki Kasahar, did not give a card for Nguyen Hong Phuc's dangerous action. Likewise, the AFF seemed to allow the action that should have been rewarded with harsh sanctions.

It was AFF's indifferent attitude that made Achsanul Qosasi open his voice. He asked the Indonesian national team to consider not participating in the AFF Cup again if the Vietnamese player who hit Haykal Alhafiz was not sanctioned by AFF.

"If this player is not sanctioned by the AFF, the Indonesian national team must speak up and consider not being involved again in the AFF tournament," wrote Achsanul Qosasi on his Instagram account quoted Monday, August 28.

"After violating, he should have come to Haykal and show his respect," he continued.

If you decide to withdraw from the tournament held by AFF as a form of disappointment, the Red and White squad will not appear in the AFF U-16 Cup, AFF U-19 Cup, AFF U-23 Cup, and senior AFF Cup.

However, the Indonesian national team can still appear in other Southeast Asian (ASEAN)-scale tournaments such as the SEA Games. Given that the tournament agenda is not an agenda under the auspices of the AFF.