Indonesian U-23 National Team Vs Malaysia: Beckham Says Team Is Getting More Compact

Indonesian U-23 national team midfielder Beckham Putera. (Photo: Doc. PSSI)

JAKARTA - The U-23 Indonesian national team will face Malaysia in the inaugural match of Group B of the U-23 AFF Cup. This match will be held at the Rayong Provincial Stadium, Thailand, Friday 18 August.

The condition of the team in the AFF U-23 Cup this time is arguably not ideal. The player who was previously expected to appear, was confirmed to be absent because he did not get permission from the club.

However, the presence of new players such as Nuri Agus, Salim Akbar Tuharea, Esal Sahrul, and Muhammad Ragil, is believed to be able to help Garuda Muda achieve the best results. Their existence can give a new color to the team, said the national team midfielder, Beckham Putera.

"We are getting more and more compact. Hopefully this (player) can help the team get better," said Beckham, as reported by PSSI's official website.

When asked about adaptation in Thailand, Beckham felt there was no problem. The reason is, Indonesia and Thailand have the same climate, even the same time, especially in the West part of the archipelago or WIB.

"So the weather adaptation is very fast and hopefully it can go well. We have to focus on achieving the best results in the 2023 AFF U-23 Cup," he said.

Ahead of the match, coach Shin Tae-yong has begun to focus on tactics. Victory is clearly the target of the Garuda Squad.