AFF Cup 2024, Indonesia 0-0 Laos: Win to confirm position as champion candidate

* PRE-MATCH COMMENTARY

On the opening day, the Indonesian team encountered many difficulties when playing on Myanmar’s field (9.12). Coach Shin Tae-yong and his team did not have the best preparation in terms of strength, and were dominated by Myanmar for most of the first half. It was not until Rafael Struick and Asnawi came on the field in the second half that Indonesia changed the situation. won 1-0. However, after the match with Myanmar, coach Shin Tae-yong was still satisfied and he assessed that this was a very important victory for the young players of the ten thousand islands.

“The Indonesian players did a lot today, far beyond what I expected. Indonesia played very well in the second half and won a well-deserved 3 points. This is a great joy for the players, making Indonesian fans also proud. I need flexibility in the players’ roles as well as finding the best solution for us to have better performances in the next matches,” coach Shin Tae-yong emphasized.

Returning to Manahan’s home field to meet Laos, Indonesian media commented that coach Shin Tae-yong and his team will not have many difficulties to win 3 points, surpassing the Vietnamese team on the rankings (Vietnam will have a break from the second match). 2). Even “Garuda” aims to win big to create an advantage in secondary stats before the two teams clash directly in the third match (December 15). Since AFF Cup 2010, Indonesia has met Laos a total of 4 times and has an undefeated record (3 wins, 1 draw). Notably, in these 4 matches, the Indonesian team scored 18 goals and conceded only 4 times. In the last match the two teams met (December 2021), Indonesia also beat Laos 5-1.

In terms of force, Indonesia is still the top qualified team in this year’s tournament, superior in all aspects compared to Laos. Tonight, pillars like Asnawi, Rafael Struick, Pratama Arhan and Pratama Arhan are all fit and will likely play from the start.

On the opposite side, the Laos team has the strongest squad but faces many difficulties because the players have not been able to fully recover their physical condition (only had about 3 days of preparation). Coach Ha Hyeok-jun assessed that Indonesia, with a force mainly made up of U.21 players but still a quality team, Laos is unlikely to create a surprise.

The Korean military leader expressed: “Vietnam has developed rapidly under the guidance of legendary coach Park Hang-seo. I also consider Mr. Shin Tae-yong a legendary Korean military leader in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is a strong opponent, a champion candidate and we will do our best to have a good match with them.”