KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. JAKARTA. The Indonesian U-23 national football team is set to compete in the semifinals of the 2024 U-23 Asia Cup at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Qatar this Monday evening (29/4).

The team's coach, Shin Tae-yong, has expressed that his players are currently at their peak mental state, ready to secure a victory in the upcoming match.

Shin Tae-yong is optimistic that his team can hold their own against Uzbekistan in the semifinal match of the 2024 U-23 Asia Cup at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium this Monday evening (29/4), which will be broadcast by a private television station at 20.00 WIB.

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"Uzbekistan and Indonesia share similarities. Uzbekistan is also trying to build its football from the youth level, such as under 20 or 23 years old. This is a factor that makes the Uzbekistan team a very good team," said Shin Tae-yong. 

He recounted his team's previous encounter with Uzbekistan in the 2023 U-20 Asia Cup. At that time, they were without six of their best players. "Yet, Uzbekistan was able to dominate the game and our performance was not as good as Uzbekistan's," Tae-yong said.

However, in his coaching career, Shin Tae-yong has never experienced a loss against Uzbekistan. Despite Uzbekistan being a strong team, he is confident that this time Indonesia has its best players and Tae-yong has good memories. 

"I have a good feeling, so hopefully we are lucky. I will prepare well," added the South Korean coach.

Confidence

Shin Tae-yong stated that the Young Garuda's preparation has been excellent ahead of the match against Uzbekistan. The players' confidence has increased after advancing from Group A, notoriously known as the group of death. Then, Indonesia managed to eliminate South Korea in the quarterfinals through a penalty shootout.

After watching Uzbekistan's matches, the head coach noted several crucial points. He realized why they were able to score 12 goals and how they managed to prevent any goals against them. 

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One crucial factor is their rapid transition. Uzbekistan can quickly transition from offense to defense and vice versa.

"This is a factor that makes Uzbekistan one of the strongest teams in this competition, they have a very good balance between the offensive and defensive sides, their transition is fast," he added.

That's why the Indonesian U-23 national team needs to address this. If Indonesia can handle it well, then Indonesia has a chance to win against Uzbekistan. "I can't say more details because it's a secret," concluded Shin Tae-yong.

The winner of the match between Indonesia and Uzbekistan will not only advance to the final of the 2024 U-23 Asia Cup but also secure a ticket to the 2026 Paris Olympics.

Editor: Syamsul Azhar