Indonesian U-23 national team manager Ahmed Zaki Iskandar revealed that the atmosphere in the Garuda Muda players' dressing room was positive ahead of the final match of the 2026 U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group J against South Korea at Gelora Delta Stadium in Sidoarjo.
According to Zaki, this positive atmosphere occurred after Indonesia finally achieved victory in the qualifying round when it managed to beat Macau 5-0 at the Gelora Delta Stadium in Sidoarjo, last Saturday.
"What's certain is that the students' motivation and enthusiasm are even better. If we look at yesterday's score, it was the same as South Korea's, 5-0. We even almost scored a few more goals," said Zaki while attending the U-23 national team training at Gelora 10 November Stadium, Surabaya, on Monday.
"It definitely gave them a boost after the first match. The second match was crucial, and it showed we're a solid team and capable of actually opening the scoring," he added.
The Young Garuda must beat South Korea if they want to participate for the second time in the finals of the Asian U-23 Cup, which in the 2026 edition will be played in Saudi Arabia in January next year.
