Indonesia have reached the AFF Championship final on six occasions, but have somewhat surprisingly never actually won the tournament.
They last made it to the final at the 2020 edition, where Thailand proved to be too strong over two games as the first leg ended in a heavy 4-0 defeat for the Garuda, with the return finishing 2-2.
There were plenty of positives that tournament as well, though, as a number of promising youngsters enjoyed a bit of a breakthrough campaign.
There was left-back Pratama Arhan who was crowned young player of the tournament, creative attacker Witan Sulaeman put on some stellar performances and Egy Maulana Vikri also made headlines with his fine displays.
Those players now all have that extra bit of experience and Indonesia will be hoping to finally break the curse this time around.
So, which players are in the Indonesian squad for the AFF Championship kicking off on December 20, 2022?
It's a clear battle between Nadeo Argawinata and Muhammad Riyandi for Indonesia's No.1 jersey, with Shin Tae-yong seemingly leaning towards Argawinata.
Syahrul Fadil, meanwhile, is the third option and won't be expected to start games unless there is an injury or suspension to the other two goalkeepers.
Name | Club |
---|---|
Nadeo Argawinata | Bali United |
Muhammad Riyandi | Persis |
Syahrul Fadil | Persikabo 1973 |
The manager will have plenty of decisions to make at the back.
Naturalised defender Jordi Amat will be fancying his chances of breaking into the starting XI, but the experienced Fachruddin Wahyudi is another high-quality option in defence.
Asnawi Mangkualam and Pratama Arhan are likely to get the nod again down the wings following their stellar displays last year.
Name | Club |
---|---|
Rizky Ridho | Persebaya Surabaya |
Pratama Arhan | Tokyo Verdy |
Jordi Amat | Johor Darul Takzim |
Fachruddin Wahyudi | Madura United |
Hansamu Yama | Persija Jakarta |
Edo Febriansah | RANS |
Asnawi Mangkualam | Ansan Greeners |
Indonesia's midfield consists of a mix of rising stars from local clubs and experienced campaigners.
Ricky Kambuaya was in fine form at the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup, Marc Klok has proven to be a reliable option ever since acquiring Indonesian citizenship, while Marselino Ferdinan is one of the most exciting youngsters around on the Asian pitches.
And then there's Syahrian Abimanyu as well, who's back in Liga 1 after his spell with Malaysian giants JDT.
Name | Club |
---|---|
Ricky Kambuaya | Persib Bandung |
Marcelino Ferdinan | Persebaya Surabaya |
Marc Klok | Persib Bandung |
Rachmat Irianto | Persib Bandung |
Syahrian Abimanyu | Persija Jakarta |
Yakob Sayuri | PSM Makassar |
Witan Sulaeman | Trencin |
Egy Maulana Vikri is arguably the star name in the Indonesia squad, although Saddil Ramdani has also proven himself at a high level, regularly shining for Sabah in the Malaysian top flight.
And then there's veteran striker Ilija Spasojevic as well, who returns to the national team set-up after a lengthy absence.
Name | Club |
---|---|
Ilija Spasojevic | Bali United |
Dendy Sulistyawan | Bhayangkara |
Ramadhan Sananta | PSM Makassar |
Muhammad Rafli | Arema FC |
Egy Maulana Vikri | Zlate Moravce |
Saddil Ramdani | Unattached |
Argawinata is likely to get the nod in between the sticks, with a four-man defence consisting of Asnawi, Amat, Aryanto and Arhan in front of him the most likely option.
There are plenty of different scenarios possible in midfield, with Klok and Abimanyu expected to act as the two deep-lying players, with the creative trio of Witan, Maulana Vikri and Ferdinan running riot in front of them.
The experienced Spasojevic could be featuring as the lone targetman who holds up the ball and gets his younger team-mates involved around him.
Indonesia XI (4-2-3-1): Argawinata; Asnawi, Amat, Aryanto, Arhan; Klok, Abimanyu; Witan, Maulana Vikri, Ferdinan; Spasojevic
As with every major tournament, there are always high-profile names who miss out for whatever reason and the AFF Championship is no exception.
Promising youngsters Ramai Rumakiek and Alfeandra Dewangga both won't be there and the same goes for Evan Dimas and Ezra Walian.
PLAYER | CLUB |
---|---|
Evan Dimas | Arema |
Alfeandra Dewangga | PSIS |
Ezra Walian | Persib Bandung |
Ramai Rumakiek | Persipura |
Elkan Baggott | Gillingham |
Sandy Walsh | Mechelen |
Copyright © 2023 Goal (Saudi Arabia English) All rights reserved. The information contained in Goal (Saudi Arabia English) may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Goal (Saudi Arabia English)