AFC U17 Asian Cup
Substitutes Fadly Alberto, Zahaby Gholy and Aldyansyah Taher were instrumental in taking Indonesia over the finish line, with the latter providing both assists in the closing stages to snatch a dramatic victory as the Southeast Asian side made it three wins out of three.
#AFCU17 | Group C: Afghanistan 0-2 Indonesia
Having already secured qualification to the quarter-finals, head coach Nova opted to rotate his squad, making seven changes to the line-up that beat Yemen 4-1 on Matchday Two.
Dafa Zaidan, Putu Ekayana, Ida Bagus Pramana, Fandi Ahmad, Ilham Romadhona, Rafi Rasyiq and Josh Holong were all handed their first starts, but a determined Afghanistan side proved a tough nut to crack, holding Indonesia to a goalless first half.
The match was headed for a stalemate, until Aldyansyah sparked life into Indonesia’s attack in stoppage time, setting up Fadly for the breakthrough, before Zahaby sealed the win with a composed finish.
Nova was pleased with his team’s composure in staying grounded ahead of the quarter-finals.
“What's certain is that we're grateful to have qualified for the World Cup, and just like from the beginning when we first arrived here, we're going to focus on playing it game by game," said Nova.
“We don't want to look at the fact that we've already qualified for the World Cup or that we're group winners — that's not something I'm thinking about too much. I ask the players to always stay focused, game by game.”
Midfielder Rafi Rasyiq echoed Nova’s sentiments, emphasising the team’s collective focus.
“Thank you for supporting Garuda Indonesia U17. We are giving our best as we prepare for the next match. Please keep cheering for us, Garuda fans – we’ll fight for you!”
Indonesia will meet the Group D runners-up in the quarter-finals.
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