Doha, Qatar: Indonesia will look to punch above their weight when they take on West Asian heavyweights Iraq in their first Group D clash in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, today.
Despite being the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament, and the youngest in their group, Indonesia head coach Shin Tae-yong will expect the best from his men against the 2007 champions at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Indonesia are 146th in the FIFA Rankings, while Iraq are 83 places above them, but Shin remained optimistic about Indonesia’s potential.
“Nobody knows what can happen tomorrow,” Shin said.
“Even though we are the lowest-ranked team in our group, if we only sit back and defend, Indonesian football will not develop. We want to follow the trends of modern football, we want to do our best in the build-up from the back and everything. Our tactics will focus on developing Indonesian football, not just on results,” the South Korean said.
Having suffered a 5-1 defeat against Iraq in their previous encounter during the qualifying phase, Shin expects a different outcome this time in Doha.
“We played against Iraq in their own country and the conditions weren’t good for us. We still didn’t have enough time to prepare this time, but we are in a much better position now and you can expect more from us,” the 53-year-old said.
Iraq head coach Jesus Casas also acknowledged the conditions were different in Basra during their previous meeting in November last year.
“All matches are different, we played two months ago in Basra, but the atmosphere was different, it was more comfortable for us,” said the Spanish coach.
Casas said he anticipates a closely contested match where small details could decide the outcome.
He urged his players to remain focused, recognizing Indonesia’s desire for redemption.
“Tomorrow will be a different match because in short tournaments there are a lot of factors; all it takes is a penalty, a red card, some nervous moments, and everything changes,” Casas said, indicating that no matter how it looks, the Group D encounter will be a keenly contested affair.
