Measuring the Chances of the U-23 Indonesian National Team Making History in the Asian Cup If They Lose Against Turkmenistan

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

JAKARTA – The U-23 Indonesian National Team has a big chance of qualifying for the U-23 Asian Cup finals next year even though they lost the final Group K qualifying match against Turkmenistan.

Indonesia currently tops the group standings after securing a 9-0 victory against Taiwan at the Manahan Stadium, Solo, Central Java, Saturday, September 9 last weekend.

Shin Tae-yong's troops have a collection of three points. Turkmenistan has the same number of points, which is trailing in second place, but is inferior in goal productivity to Indonesia.

The victory in the first match against Taiwan made Indonesia's chances of qualifying for the U-23 Asian Cup for the first time in history wide open.

If you want to automatically get a ticket to the final round of this prestigious event, the Garuda Squad only needs to draw in the final match against Turkmenistan on Tuesday, September 12.

The draw means that Indonesia and Turkmenistan both collect four points. However, Indonesia remains in the top position because it has an advantage in calculating goal difference.

Even if we lose against Turkmenistan, it will not immediately bury Indonesia's dreams. Marselino Ferdinan and his friends can still make it to the final round with the status of the four best runners up.

Turkmenistan, Iran (Group E), Kuwait (Group F), and Malaysia (Group H) are currently in the top four positions of the best runners-up standings. If Indonesia loses, they still have a chance here because of the goal feast against Taiwan.