Indonesian National Team coach Shin Tae Yong said his team’s performance exceeded expectations after beating Myanmar in the first match of the 2024 AFF Cup.
Competing at Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Monday (9/12), Indonesia managed to win 1-0 over Myanmar. The Red and White team’s sole goal was scored by Asnawi Mangkualam in the second half.
After the match, Shin Tae Yong praised the performance of the young Indonesian National Team squad who played beyond his expectations.
“We didn’t have enough time to prepare and there weren’t enough test matches before this competition started. So, in my opinion, the players’ performance was actually better than I expected,” said Shin Tae Yong.
The coach from South Korea also highlighted the tough challenges of playing his first match in a tournament.
“The first match is always difficult. But as I mentioned yesterday, the majority of this team consists of U-23 players, young players. The existing senior players also showed their maximum effort,” he added.
The 54 year old coach also thanked all the players for the hard work shown throughout the match.
“I would like to thank all the players on this team for their efforts and hard work on the field,” said Shin Tae Yong.
This result gave the Indonesian National Team the first three points in Group B of the 2024 AFF Cup. However, Indonesia had to settle for being in second place because they lost on goal difference to Vietnam.
Separately, Vietnam managed to achieve a convincing victory with a score of 4-1 over Laos and became valuable capital to go further in this tournament.
The victory over Myanmar also increased the confidence of the young Indonesian National Team players. Next, Indonesia will play Laos at Manahan Stadium, Solo, Thursday (12/12).
The Indonesian and Laos National Teams are both scheduled to arrive in Solo, Central Java, on Tuesday (10/12) evening, ahead of the 2024 AFF Cup match.
