Thohir said he understands that all the Young Garuda players feel disappointed, but he urged them to use their disappointment as motivation to rise and perform better and stronger.
"Are some of you disappointed? Of course, you are. You can use that disappointment to rise again. Don't let your disappointment make you fail continuously. You have to bounce back," he said while welcoming the team upon their return, as per a post on his Instagram account.
"What is done is done, but we have to improve moving forward. I believe you are the best generation Indonesia has. We need to increase our seriousness," he added.
Indonesia's defeat against North Korea in the U-17 quarterfinals does not affect its progress, as it has already qualified for the U-17 World Cup in Qatar, scheduled in November 2025.
Thohir said he wants the young players to focus on the world-level tournament rather than brood over their loss to North Korea in the U-17 Asian Cup.
The PSSI has plans in place to prepare the Young Garuda team for their second world stage appearance after hosting the 2023 U-17 edition, Thohir revealed.
One of the plans is to hold a league next month, where the U-17 national team players will compete against older players aged 18–20 in the Elite Pro Academy (EPA).
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Translator: Zaro, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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