The "Young Garuda"'s Sudden Fortune at the 2025 SEA Games

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Cambodia made a surprising decision by announcing its withdrawal from the football event less than a week before the kickoff. Cambodia's withdrawal is based on security reasons. Directly, Indonesia U-23 benefits from this development.

In a statement on November 26, the Cambodian Olympic Committee (NOCC) announced that it has sent a letter to the Chief Executive of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) Dato Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat. The letter contained a notification of withdrawal from certain sports for the upcoming SEA Games.

"We would like to officially inform SEAGF that Cambodia will participate in 13 sports and will withdraw from eight sports. This adjustment is made due to significant security issues, which pose challenges in ensuring the safety and protection of our athletes and officials," the statement in the letter read.

According to reports from Cambodian media, Kiri Post, the 13 sports that the Cambodian contingent will participate in include swimming, athletics, e-sports, fencing, gymnastics, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, taekwondo, equestrian, jet ski, triathlon, teqball, and volleyball. Currently, the total number of the Cambodian sports delegation reaches 150 athletes for 13 sports.

The security reasons referred to by NOCC are related to the armed conflict between the Cambodian and Thai military that began in July 2025. The armed conflict occurred near the Prasat Ta Muen Thom Temple on the border of Surin Province, Thailand, and Oddar Meanchey Province, Cambodia. As tensions between the two countries escalated, negative sentiment towards Cambodia increased among the Thai public.

The conflict began from overlapping claims over several areas along the border of the two countries, which stretches over 800 kilometers. At one border point, there is the Preah Vihear Temple complex, which is over a thousand years old. The ownership status of the temple complex is still contested by Cambodia and Thailand.

Nevertheless, Indonesia seems to have received a "windfall" as a result of Cambodia's decision to withdraw from eight sports, including football. The reduction in participants in the football category has compelled the committee to revise the results of the group stage draw. Without Cambodia, Group A consists only of Thailand and Timor Leste.

To ensure that the number of teams in each group is balanced, the committee decided to move Singapore, which was previously in Group C, to Group A. Consequently, the number of participants in Groups A, B, and C is now equal, with three teams in each group.

Alhamdulillah, the training camp process in Jakarta has been completed, and we have selected 23 players in accordance with the regulations of the SEA Games 2025. Among these 23 players, four of them play abroad, namely Marselino Ferdinan, Ivar Jenner, Mauro Zijlstra, and Dion Markx.

The transfer of Singapore to Group A ultimately benefits Indonesia. Without Singapore, Group C is only filled by Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar. The match between Indonesia and Singapore, which was initially scheduled to take place on December 5, has ultimately been canceled.

The reduction in the number of teams in Group C from four to three slightly benefits Indonesia in terms of scheduling. The recovery period for the players can be extended. Referring to the initial schedule, Indonesia was set to face Singapore on December 5, followed by the Philippines three days later. Meanwhile, the teams in Groups A and B will only play two matches in the group stage.

The Philippines will be Indonesia's first opponent in the SEA Games. Four days later, the "Garuda Muda" is scheduled to face Myanmar in the final group match.

The coach of the Indonesia U-23 team, Indra Sjafri, has finally determined the definitive squad that will be taken to Thailand in the mission to defend the SEA Games gold medal. After undergoing four friendly matches, two against India and two against Mali, Indra has selected 23 players of his choice.

"Alhamdulillah, the training camp process in Jakarta has been completed, and we have selected 23 players in accordance with the regulations of the SEA Games 2025. Among these 23 players, four of them play abroad, namely Marselino Ferdinan, Ivar Jenner, Mauro Zijlstra, and Dion Markx," said Indra on the PSSI website.

According to Indra, this decision was made after the coaching team held a meeting and evaluation. The selection of players was based on data collected by Indra and his team during the training camps in October and November. Not only during the training camps, but the performance of the players was also observed while playing in the league.

The inclusion of Marselino, who is currently playing in the Slovak League with AS Trencin, adds strength to Indonesia. Marselino was previously part of the team that won the gold medal at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. His skill in breaking through the opponent's defense and delivering key passes is expected to provide a solution to the deadlock in Indonesia's attacking line.