Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian national team coach Shin Tae-yong has expressed satisfaction with his team's 1-0 victory over Myanmar in the opening match of Group B at the 2024 ASEAN Cup.The match took place at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, on Monday.
"Despite limited preparation time and a lack of adequate trial matches, the players performed beyond my expectations," the South Korean coach said on the Kita Garuda page, which was accessed from Jakarta on Tuesday.
Baca juga: Target Shin Tae-yong di Piala AFF 2024
Indonesia struggled in the first half of the match, facing pressure from Myanmar. However, introducing Rafael Struick, Asnawi Mangkualam, and Victor Dethan at half-time revitalized the team's performance.
The decisive moment arrived in the 76th minute when Mangkualam converted a pass from Kadek Arel, initiated by Pratama Arhan's throw-in.
"The first match is always challenging. But as I mentioned, this team primarily consists of U23 players and young talents. Even the senior players displayed maximum effort," the 54-year-old coach said.
Baca juga: Timnas Indonesia naik di ranking 125 FIFA
He thanked the players for their hard work, saying: "I would like to express my gratitude to all the players for their dedication and hard work on the field."
With the victory, Indonesia is second in Group B with three points, trailing Vietnam on goal difference. Vietnam secured a 4-1 win over Laos on the same day.
Indonesia will host Laos in the next match on Thursday at 8 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB) at Manahan Stadium in Solo, Central Java.
