Steven Danis
Football Tribe Indonesia
Team Condition – Simon McMenemy has refused to handle the Indonesian team after discovering that he is to be axed by the federation soon. Simon’s assistant, Yeyen Tumena, will take charge of the team against Malaysia before the federation sets off to find Simon’s replacement in 2020. A number of players will make their debuts at the Bukit Jalil – Persib Bandung’s left back Ardi Idrus and Persipura Jayapura’s holding midfielder Muhammad Tahir are some of the notable names.
Opponent Condition – Playing in front of their passionate Ultras Malaya and on a high after beating Thailand last time out guarantees that Harimau Malaya are ready 100% to take on Indonesia. Even though Indonesia hasn’t collected any points yet in the qualification so far, Malaysia will take this match seriously because of their rivalry with Timnas Garuda. Perak TBG’s Brendan Gan, who acted as captain in the Thailand match, is a great motivator for his teammates and I’m certain that their ambitions will be amplified when they face Indonesia.
Player to Watch: Irfan Bachdim – The absences of Saddil Ramdani and Andik Vermansyah, both having playing experiences in Malaysia’s Liga Super, will give Indonesia an air of unpredictability to their attacking line. Irfan was called into international duty alongside three other strikers, but out of the four only he has scored during the qualification campaign, making him the perfect substitute for Beto Gonçalves who scored a brace during the first meeting between the two sides in the qualification. Irfan isn’t a pure no. 9 striker, his movement is more fluid and he could make some good chemistry with his Bali United teammate Stefano Lilipaly.
Final Thoughts and Prediction – I’m not sure that Indonesia will win in this away game as we had a nightmare back in 2010 on AFF first leg final. Bukit Jalil stadium turned into a hell with a big booing around the stadia. But the Garuda will and must play their best if they want to seeking a chanceI’m not sure that Indonesia will win in this tough away game as the Bukit Jalil has given Indonesia some serious nightmares in the past, such as the first leg of the 2010 AFF Championship final. But in order to have a shot to play in the 2023 Asian Cup, Timnas Garuda will and must play their best game against Malaysia despite the odds stacked firmly against them. But moreover, I always pray the best for both teams as they resumed their rivalry only within the 90 minutes on the pitch, while maintaining conditions off it. I hope that both teams and their sets of fans, especially the away ones, don’t get into any trouble at the Bukit Jalil.