Uzbekistan U-23 Coach Admits Indonesia U-23 Opponents Are Difficult

Uzbekistan U-23 coach, East Kapadze (doc. AFC).

JAKARTA - The coach of the U-23 Uzbekistan national team, Timur Kapadze, admitted that his team meeting with the U-23 Indonesian national team in the semifinals of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup was not easy.

The two teams will meet at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Qatar, on Monday, April 29, 2024, WIB night. Before meeting, Kapadze realized that the U-23 Indonesian national team was not an opponent who could be underestimated.

The coach admitted this because Shin Tae-yong's team succeeded in repatriating South Korea U-23 in the quarter-finals even though the match was fierce and full of drama.

"We are happy to be able to reach the semifinals. We will face them (The U-23 Indonesian National Team). It will be a difficult match, but we will be ready," said East Kapadze, quoted by the AFC official website on Monday, April 29, 2024.

Uzbekistan U-23 will challenge Indonesia U-23 in the semifinals after beating Saudi Arabia U-23 with a score of 2-0. Ahead of that match, White Wolves also have qualified provisions because they are recorded as the only team that has not conceded until the quarter-finals.

Even so, Kapadze did not want to be complacent about his team's achievements. He felt that when he continued the match in the semifinals, his team must continue to apply the strategy properly for maximum results.

"Against Indonesia U-23 is another match. We will play as usual. We have our own strategy for Indonesia U-23 and will implement it in the match," said Kapadze.

In addition, Kapadze also talked about the potential for great pressure from Indonesian U-23 supporters who will meet the stadium stands. If you reflect on the previous match, the Red-White supporters look militant even though this is not a home match.

"It (the stadium which is filled with Indonesian U-23 supporters) will not have an impact on us because we have experience playing in front of many people," said the coach.