The Chairman of the All Indonesia Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, assessed that the quality of the Indonesian U-19 national team players is not far behind Australia's despite losing 0-1 in the semifinals of the 2026 AFF U-19 Cup.
"In terms of quality, our players are not inferior, they just need more playing time," said Erick Thoir after watching the Indonesia vs. Australia match in Medan on Thursday.
According to him, the children fostered by coach Nova Arianto in the match performed optimally because they were able to serve the opponent's game throughout the match.
"However, unfortunately, there was a counter-attack at the end of the match so we conceded," he said.
Despite the defeat, Erick admitted that he was proud of the struggle of I Putu Panji Apriawan and his friends who had wholeheartedly defended the nation and state.
He said the international tournament was a preparation event for Indonesia to appear in the next tournament.
"Once again, our players did not lose. This is good for their preparation for the next round, including the AFC qualifiers," he said.
Playing at the North Sumatra Main Stadium, Indonesia had to admit Australia's 0-1 lead after conceding a goal in the 88th minute.
