However, the others, the (remaining) 17 players, are (regular) members of the national team.Jakarta (ANTARA) - The coach of the U-22 national soccer team Indra Sjafri has increased tactical training for players ahead of the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia.
“We are working on improving the attacking aspect, according to our evaluation, as there are still many problems in finishing (the attack) at the final one-third of the court,” he informed after the team’s training session at the Bung Karno B training field here on Monday.
His party is also focusing on maintaining the physical condition of the players.
He informed that two national team players, Pratama Arhan and Marselino Ferdinan, who have also played for foreign clubs, have arrived in Jakarta to prepare for the Games.
According to ANTARA’s observation, Arhan – who plays for Japanese club Tokyo Verdy -- attended the training, however, Ferdinan -- who plays for Belgian club KMSK Deinze – chose to rest first.
The coach said that his party is expecting that all players will improve their game while playing at their respective clubs.
"Moreover, if they are able to score, they certainly will become more confident," he remarked.
The national team consists mostly of young players who have appeared regularly in various Indonesian clubs, both in League 1 and League 2.
Hence, Sjafri said that he faced no difficulty in bringing together the best players for Indonesia’s national team.
"They have regularly played at their clubs, and there are several players who have played for the national team several times,” he added.
Only 3 out of the 20 players selected for the 2023 SEA Games have never played for the national team, he informed.
“However, the others, the (remaining) 17 players, are (regular) members of the national team," the coach added.
He said that all the players had the same opportunity to play as starters. Thus, all players are expected to do their best, both during practice as well as matches, he added.
The U-22 national team players are scheduled to leave for Cambodia on Tuesday (April 25, 2023) at 4:30 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).
In the group stage, they will play against the Philippines on April 29, Myanmar on May 4, Timor Leste on May 7, and Cambodia on May 10.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the SEA Games will be held on May 5 and 17, respectively.
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Translator: Rauf Adipati, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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