The ASEAN U-23 Championship Final: Indonesia's 38-Year Wait is Near

The final match of the ASEAN U-23 Championship against Vietnam holds significant importance for the Indonesian football public. Indonesia last celebrated a championship victory on home soil during the SEA Games football final in 1987, 38 years ago. Thus, the final against Vietnam is nothing short of an opportunity for the Indonesian U-23 team to end a long wait for a championship celebration at their home ground.

Although it has been a long time since they celebrated a championship at their home ground, it does not mean that the "Garuda Muda" is devoid of achievements. Two years ago, in the final of the 2023 SEA Games, the Indonesia U-22 team, coached by Indra Sjafri, quenched their thirst for success by winning the gold medal after defeating Thailand in the final.

However, that achievement was attained in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Meanwhile, the final of the ASEAN U-23 Championship against Vietnam took place at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK), Jakarta, on Tuesday (29/7/2025).

GBK has become akin to a temple of football in Indonesia, much like Maracana in Brazil. Therefore, a temple without a celebration will always feel somewhat incomplete. The long wait after enduring 38 years without a celebration is what Gerald Vanenburg, who is now the coach of the Indonesia U-23 team, is striving to end.

The joy experienced when winning a tournament in a foreign country and at home will certainly feel very different. It is unimaginable how "explosive" the GBK will be when the Indonesia U-23 team ultimately conquers Vietnam and lifts the trophy in front of tens of thousands of their own supporters.

However, the GBK Stadium has never truly been silent. In 2008, Indonesia celebrated a championship after winning the Independence Cup following a declared victory over Libya. However, the celebration of that victory never felt authentic. This was because Indonesia won due to the withdrawal of the Libya U-23 team in the second half.

Libya's decision to withdraw originated from an incident involving the Libyan coach, Gamal Adeen Abu Nowara, and the Indonesian goalkeeper coach, Sudarno. Gamal alleged that Sudarno struck him in the face during the match break. This incident only became known to the public after the match.

Due to Libya's withdrawal before the second half began, they were declared the loser by walkout, resulting in Indonesia winning 3-1. Libya had taken the lead in the first half through a goal from Mohamed Abdala.

The trophy obtained after the opponent unexpectedly withdrew in the second round undoubtedly tarnished the celebration of Indonesia's championship. Many have also criticized that Indonesia's victory was achieved in a manner that lacks dignity. Therefore, the championship celebration in front of 50,000 supporters present at GBK felt lackluster.

The dark story of the 2008 Independence Cup has been tightly sealed. The Indonesia U-23 team now has a great opportunity to emerge as champions on home soil in a more elegant manner. Achieving victory through a process that is free of controversy will certainly bring about a more genuine celebration at GBK.

"After the extraordinary victory yesterday, we took a brief look behind the scenes. We are on the right track, but there is still one more hurdle to overcome, and this is the most important one," said Vanenburg in a post on his personal social media, Saturday (26/7/2025).

The hope of transforming GBK into a venue for celebrating victory and festivities now rests on Vanenburg's shoulders. The Dutch coach is expected to prepare the best players to face Vietnam, which is aiming for its third consecutive championship title.

The figure of Vanenburg is highly regarded by Vietnam. He is seen as a cunning coach with bold tactical decisions. Three unusual player substitutions made by Vanenburg resulted in a ticket to the final. He played center-back Brandon Scheunemann as a defensive midfielder. Muhammad Ferarri, who plays in the same position as Brandon, was even assigned as a forward.

Vigilance towards Vanenburg has been conveyed by several Vietnamese media outlets. Although he has not yet been very successful in sharpening Indonesia's attacking line, Vanenburg's tendency to frequently change player formations makes him a difficult figure to predict, which is one of the factors prompting Vietnam to remain cautious.

"They (Indonesia) displayed a bold playing style and, notably, 'strange' tactics that could become a dangerous weapon. Analyzing Indonesia's victory over Thailand, particularly the bold tactical decisions made by coach Gerald Vanenburg, serves as an important lesson for the Vietnam U-23 team to prepare themselves as best as possible," wrote the Vietnamese sports media, Bongda, in its report.

Vanenburg's courage is highly anticipated in the crucial final match ahead. In a pressured situation, we can only rely on Vanenburg's intuition and sharpness in reading the circumstances on the field, as demonstrated when he turned the game around after trailing behind Thailand. The way out of the silence of achievements at home for 38 years is now within reach. The match against Vietnam must, without a doubt, be a victory for us.