Indonesia showed some exceptional fighting spirit as they forced a strong Palestine side to a 0-0 draw in Wednesday’s friendly match at the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium in Surabaya.
Timnas Garuda head coach Shin Tae-yong used the Palestine friendly as an opportunity to give debuts to newly naturalized Eredivisie duo Ivar Jenner and Rafael Struick, and the duo gave out an impressive performance in their first match in an Indonesia shirt.
Despite having former Persib Bandung winger Mohammad Rashid within their ranks, Palestine were unable to find a way through a resolute Indonesia defense, with the Timnas Garuda coming close to nicking themselves the lead a number of times throughout the match.
Football Federation of Indonesia (PSSI) president Erick Thohir sang praises towards the Indonesia players after their valiant display in Surabaya, especially considering that at number 92, Palestine is ranked considerably higher than Indonesia in the FIFA rankings.
“In terms of the game, Indonesia seems to dominate. Statistics show that we had 60-40 of ball possession. There were at least three opportunities in the first half that could potentially led to a goal,” said Erick, as quoted from detikSport, “Even though it was a draw, I was satisfied to see teamwork that looked cohesive, even though several new players joined, including our naturalized players.”
Indonesia will take on reigning FIFA World Cup champions Argentina on Monday at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, while Palestine will travel to Dalian to take on China on Tuesday.