Alfin Lestaluhu's U-16 National Team And Jersey, The Milky Way: A Symbol Of Players With High Fighting Power

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The jersey belonging to the late Alfin Lestaluhu was brought to celebrate the victory of the U-16 National Team in winning the 2022 AFF U-16 Cup after defeating the Vietnam U-16 National Team.

In the final of the U-16 AFF Cup at Maguwoharjo Stadium, Sleman, Friday, August 12, the national team emerged as champions through Muhammad Kafiatur Rizky's only goal at the end of the first half.

After the championship title was won, a national team official immediately lifted the shirt of the late Alfin Lestaluhu. The former U-15 national team jersey was immediately lifted and directed at the camera as a form of celebration.

Not only that. During the celebration of the championship on the podium, the coach of the U-16 Bima Sakti National Team also lifted the late Alfin's jersey.

When attending the press conference after the match, Bima and the team captain also brought and posed with Alfin's jersey.

The U-16 national team always carries the jersey of the late Alfin with the back number 2 at every opportunity. The players also never forget to include the jersey when taking photos together, both before the game, after the match, or when celebrating the championship title.

Regarding this, the Milky Way explained the reason. The coach said that Alfin's jersey always goes wherever the team competes, because for him it is a symbol of high fighting spirit.

"This jersey is a symbol of a player who has a high fighting spirit. Players who work incredibly hard both in training and in games. This is a motivation for today's players," Bima said as quoted by Antara.

The late Alfin Lestaluhu was the right-back for the U-15 Indonesian national team in the 2019 era who was also trained by Bima Sakti.

While still in the squad, the player from Tulehu in Maluku helped bring Indonesia to third place in the 2019 AFF U-15 Cup and qualify for the 2020 U-17 Asian Cup by becoming second in Group G in the qualifying phase.

Alfin died in Jakarta on October 31, 2019 due to encephalitis that attacks the brain. Not only undergoing treatment in Ambon, Alfin was also flown to Jakarta to receive further treatment.

Having had a moment together, Bima Sakti reminisced about the moment with Alfin. During the fight for the third place of the 2019 edition of the AFF U-15 Cup in Chonburi, Thailand's Alfin became the first player to ask to be the executor of the penalty shootout against Vietnam.

"He said to me, 'Coach I want to take the first penalty kick'. I immediately thought this kid was amazing. Unfortunately Alfin's shot didn't score. He came to me again, 'Coach, I'm sorry'. I said, 'No, you're great'. In the end we won the penalty shootout," Bima recalled.

From the attitude of the deceased at that time, Bima Sakti wants the current U-16 national team players to have an attitude like Alfin who never gives up and always dares to take risks for the sake of the team.