JAKARTA - Indonesian national team player, Marselino Ferdinand, said the Garuda squad had to play confidently when meeting Japan in the Third Round of Asian Zone 2026 World Cup qualifiers at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, Friday, November 15, 2024, at 19.00 WIB.
Marselino said this because he wanted the Indonesian national team to play loose and not be afraid to fight Japan.
He emphasized that the Garuda Squad does not need to be inferior even though the Blue Samurai are a World Cup subscription country. No team cannot be defeated.
"Maybe we are more daring to hold the ball and be confident. I think everything is the same, together humans," said Marselino.
The meeting against Japan in SUGBK will be the second clash. Previously, the Indonesian national team had met the Blue Samurai in the 2023 Asian Cup group stage at the end of January 2024.
At that time, Japan won 3-1 through Justin Hubner's own goal and Ayase Ueda's two goals. Meanwhile, the Indonesian national team could only reply to one goal through Sandy Walsh.
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Marselino confirmed that his team had learned a lot from the meeting against Japan in the 2023 Asian Cup.
Since that meeting, Garuda's squad rating has risen far from 146 to the ranks of 130 FIFA. The quality of the Indonesian national team is also increasing with the entry of naturalized players who play in Europe.
"We know how they play and how we have to play. We are very, very evaluating against Japan before," said the 20-year-old player.
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