Indonesia’s U-23 national football team has once again fallen short in the AFF U-23 Championship, suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Vietnam in the final held at Bung Karno Stadium.This marks the second consecutive final where the Garuda Muda have been bested by their Southeast Asian rivals.
The highly anticipated match saw an open first half with both teams creating chances. However, it was Vietnam who broke the deadlock in the 36th minute through a goal from Nguyen Cong Phuong. Despite a spirited second-half push from the Indonesian side, their efforts to find an equalizer were ultimately thwarted by Vietnam’s solid defence.
This latest loss mirrors the outcome of the 2023 edition of the tournament, where Indonesia also faced Vietnam in the final. That encounter ended goalless,with Vietnam ultimately prevailing 6-5 in a penalty shootout after Indonesian goalkeeper Ernando ari’s decisive penalty was saved.The defeat means Indonesia is still searching for its first AFF U-23 Championship title since its victory in 2019, when they defeated Thailand in the final. Vietnam, meanwhile, continues its extraordinary run of dominance in the competition, securing its third consecutive title. Their previous triumph came in 2022 against Thailand, followed by back-to-back wins over Indonesia.(raw/ran)