Members of the Indonesian U-23 men’s soccer team line up on April 25, 2024, to sing the national anthem before the squad’s 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup quarterfinal soccer match against South Korea at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha. (Antara/Handout/PSSI)
L
ong lamented by fans for lackluster international performances, Indonesian soccer has upped its game this year, with national teams advancing to unprecedented rounds of regional competitions, although experts and fans alike caution that the country must take measures to ensure its successes are sustained in the long run.
The Indonesian Under-23 (U-23) team made history on Friday by reaching the semifinals of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Qatar after beating South Korea 11-10 in a penalty shootout.
Twenty-one-year-old forward Rafael Struick of Indonesia scored twice in the match, only for the game to be equalized by an own-goal off Indonesian defender Komang Teguh set in motion by South Korea’s Jeong Sang-bin.
But a goal from Indonesian defender Pratama Arhan, alongside goalkeeper Ernando Ari’s successful block of South Korea’s 11th penalty kick in the shootout, carried the Southeast Asian team to the semifinals.
There, the country will face either Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan, depending on which of the two teams wins their quarterfinal matchup on Friday evening Jakarta time. If Indonesia triumphs in the semifinal match, the U-23 team will win a ticket to compete in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Read also: Indonesia revels in regional soccer glory after 32-year wait
Indonesia’s participation in the 2024 U-23 AFC Asian Cup was the first for the country in the decade-long history of the biennial soccer tournament. This, combined with the team reaching the semifinals, has sparked excitement among soccer fans nationwide.