Danger Signals for Malaysia U-23 Motivation

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — High motivation surrounds the Malaysian U-23 football team ahead of the final match of Group A in the ASEAN U-23 Championship against Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (21/7/2025) at 20:00 WIB. Pressured by the necessity to win, Malaysia is highly motivated to unleash its best potential. The "Garuda Muda" can dampen that motivation if they are able to exploit the backline, which is Malaysia's weakest point.

Unlike Malaysia, which must win to secure a semifinal ticket, Indonesia at least only needs a draw. The absence of a requirement to win against Malaysia is not a reason for Garuda Muda to take this match lightly. On the contrary, Indonesia must give their all to thwart Malaysia's resurgence.

After being defeated by the Philippines in their opening match, Malaysia regained their confidence by overwhelming Brunei Darussalam, 7-1. The goal-scoring instincts of the Malaysian players have been indirectly revived by this significant victory. They will attempt to continue this positive trend when facing Indonesia, which will be supported by tens of thousands of fans at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK).

"This victory is to prove what we can do and it boosts our spirit to challenge Indonesia in the upcoming match. Therefore, we will prepare ourselves and give our best in the match against Indonesia later," said Malaysia U-23 striker, Haqimi Azim, after the match against Brunei, Friday (18/7/2025).

Hakimi's statement serves as a warning signal for Indonesia. A moment's lapse, and the "Malayan Tiger" is ready to pounce. The upcoming match is predicted to be intense, considering the rivalry between the two countries, known as the "Malay Derby," which has historically been very fierce with high stakes. Malaysia's motivation has increased as they are required to defeat Indonesia in order to advance to the semifinals.

On paper, aiming for a draw is not a difficult task for Garuda Muda. The solidity of the defense of this team, coached by Gerald Vanenburg, has been proven with two matches without conceding a goal. Indonesia is the only team in Group A that has not conceded a goal so far.

Indonesia's biggest problem lies in the attacking line. After celebrating a flurry of goals against Brunei, the sharpness of Garuda Muda diminished when facing a team of a higher level. Indonesia failed to score from open play due to the tight and disciplined defense of the Philippines.

Playing it safe by aiming for a draw is not the best approach for Garuda Muda. On the contrary, Arkan Fikri and his teammates must strive to score quickly to disrupt Malaysia's resurgence scenario.

"Next up, we'll face Malaysia, and of course, we can't afford to waste any opportunities in this match," said Indonesian defender Kadek Arel.

Indonesia can take a cue from the successes of the Philippines and Brunei in breaking through Malaysia's defense. One key to scoring against Malaysia is to exploit their defenders, who often do not coordinate well during defensive plays.

Malaysia's coach Nafuzi Zain enjoys employing a four-defender formation. However, the Malaysian defenders have a significant weakness in one-on-one situations. Two goals from the Philippines and one goal from Brunei originated from that major weakness.

The success of Brunei, the weakest team in Group A, in scoring against Malaysia should serve as a wake-up call for the Indonesian attackers. If Brunei can do it, scoring against Malaysia should not be an impossible task for the Indonesian players.

In this case, Indonesia, which has strong and fast wingers in Dony Tri Pamungkas, Raihan Hannan, Rahmat Arjuna, and Alfharezzi Buffon, must be confident in dueling one-on-one with Malaysian defenders. The advantage of Indonesia's striker, Jens Raven, in terms of stature must also be utilized to exploit the weaknesses in the opponent's defense.

Even if efforts to score goals through open play still fail, the skill of scoring goals through set pieces, as Robi Darwis does with his long-range throws, can be an alternative.

One important aspect to consider is that Garuda Muda must play with high vigilance. Given that Malaysia needs a victory to qualify, it is highly likely that Nafuzi will instruct his players to aggressively press Indonesia's efforts to build attacks from the back.

"We will prepare ourselves well so that we can achieve better results against Malaysia," said Indonesia's winger, Victor Dethan.