TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Chairperson of the PSSI Erick Thohir reminded the Indonesian U-23 national team to stay focused throughout the match against the Vietnamese U-23 national team in the final of the AFF U-23 Cup 2025 at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, on Tuesday, July 29, at 8:00 PM WIB (Western Indonesian Time).
Erick expects that the final against Vietnam will be tightly contested, similar to the last edition's final in 2023 in Thailand, where the team dubbed the Golden Star Warriors defeated Garuda Muda 6-5 in a penalty shootout.
"Remember, this is a tough match. So we have to stay focused for the full 90 minutes," said Erick, quoted from his official Instagram account on Monday.
The man who also serves as the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises said that Kadek Arel and his teammates should be brave to play tough, but without the intention to injure the opponent.
If victorious, Indonesia will secure their second title in the tournament formerly known as the AFF U-23 Cup, following the 2019 edition in Cambodia under the guidance of Indra Sjafri. "They have reached the final three times, winning twice," said Erick.
"We are the hosts here. We have to play tough. But not to cause any harm," he added.
On the same occasion, the 55-year-old man also inquired about the current condition of the injuries to Jens Raven and Arkhan Fikri, where both confirmed that their injuries were "safe."
Raven struggled in the final minutes of the two 15-minute extra time periods when they defeated Thailand in the semifinal with a 7-6 score in a penalty shootout.
As for Arkhan, the player from Arema FC has not played in two matches due to his injury, the last match in Group A against Malaysia and also against Thailand in the semifinal. He was on the bench against Thailand, but was not brought on by Gerald Vanenburg.
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