Jakarta –
Indonesian National team have to be content to be runner-up AFF Cup 2020. But the performance of the Garuda Squad made the former coach Malaysian national team impressed, to the point of insisting that the Malayan Tigers should imitate him.
This opinion was expressed by Ong Kim Swee, a figure who has coached the Malaysian national team at the senior and U-23 levels. Earlier last year, the 51-year-old became Technical Director of the Malaysian Football Federation (FAM), before accepting an offer to coach from the Sabah FA club.
“Despite the defeat (in the AFF Cup 2020 final) it showed Indonesia still far from Thailand’s level, we have to give them credit for showing great fighting power throughout the tournament.”
“In Singapore, they are full of ambition to achieve something,” said Ong Kim Swee as reported by New Strait Times.
“However, fighting hard doesn’t always lead to wins. Talent is also needed (to win the title), but we still have to appreciate them because even against Malaysia, they scored (many) goals and kept trying (scoring more) .”
“The mentality of Indonesian players is something that footballers should emulate Malaysia. The (Malaysia) team has quality but lacks mentality,” he said.
The Indonesian national team qualified from the group stage of the 2020 AFF Cup in the top position after winning from Cambodia (4-2), Laos (5-1), before then drawing 0-0 with favorites Vietnam. In the group phase deciding match, Garuda Squad won 4-1 over Malaysia.
Indonesia and Vietnam then progressed from Group B, with Thailand and Singapore earning tickets to the last four from Group A.
In the semifinals, Indonesia has the youngest squad among the other four teams with an average age of 23.79 players. The final ticket was won after a 5-3 aggregate win over host Singapore.
Indonesia then had to bite the finger in the final after being crushed 2-6 on aggregate by Thailand. It was the sixth runner-up title for Indonesia in the AFF Cup – formerly known as the Tiger Cup.
(krs/pur)
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