Thohir highlighted the exceptional mentality displayed by the young Garuda team who endured relentless pressure from the young Taeguk Warriors before Indonesia's Evandra Florasta secured the decisive goal in the 90+1 minute.
"This victory was not easy, with such enormous pressure throughout the match. The U-17 national team showed extraordinary mentality and managed to score a goal just before the end of the match," he stated on his official Instagram account, as quoted here on Saturday.
The minister then described the win as a historic moment for Nova Arianto-coached U-17 athletes as South Korea is the second most successful team in this tournament, having won two titles.
The South Korean team, coached by Back Ki-tae, has consistently reached the semifinals in the last two U-17 editions, with the 2023 AFC U-17 Cup being the most recent when South Korea emerged as the finalist.
"A historic moment for the U-17 Indonesian national team as they successfully won 1-0 against South Korea, who was the finalist in the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup," Thohir remarked.
He also expressed gratitude for the young Garuda team's efforts throughout the match against South Korea. He then urged Putu Panji and his teammates to remain focused on the two remaining matches against Yemen and Afghanistan to secure a spot in the 2025 U-17 World Cup.
Should they qualify, it would mark Indonesia's second participation in the 2025 U-17 World Cup following its debut in 2023 when it hosted the event.
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Translator: Zaro, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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