Young forward Taufik Hidayat, representing Persija Jakarta, recently made his inaugural appearance with the U-23 Indonesia national team during the initial leg of the U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers versus Australia this past Tuesday.
Taking the field at the Republican Central Stadium in Tajikistan, Taufik, coming in as a substitute, notched a goal in the 84th minute, further to Witan Sulaeman’s goal in the 68th minute. However, these two goals were inadequate to secure a victory for the U-23 national team, resulting in a narrow 2-3 loss against Australia.
In spite of the defeat in the initial leg, Indonesia maintains the opportunity to progress to the final stage of the championship. The Young Garuda team requires a minimum two-goal margin win in order to guarantee advancement to the subsequent phase.
Taufik has conveyed his pride in contributing to the national team by scoring a goal. Nonetheless, he remains unsatisfied as the U-23 national team narrowly lost the match.
The determined 21-year-old athlete is diligently preparing himself to make a more substantial contribution when facing Australia in the upcoming second leg, scheduled for Friday.
“I take pride in scoring a goal in my debut with the national team. I aspire to gain confidence and perform even more admirably in the future,” Taufik expressed, as cited in Persija’s official release on Thursday, October 28, 2021. “Regarding my evaluation, I acknowledge that I must intensify my efforts for the future and strive for improvement,” he added.
When asked about the strategy employed by the Indonesian national team coach, Shin Tae-yong, Taufik affirmed that he encountered no challenges. He indicated that he experienced no difficulty in adapting and fulfilling his responsibilities as a striker.
“I am grateful that I encountered no difficulties in adaptation, and everything proceeded seamlessly. We also comprehended Coach Shin Tae-yong’s strategy effortlessly,” he remarked.
Taufik Hidayat and his fellow U-23 Indonesia national team members are set to confront Australia in the second leg of the U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Republican Central Stadium in Tajikistan on Friday, commencing at 19:00 WIB and aired on Indosiar.
Source: Persija, ANTARA
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