Indonesian captain: 'Indonesia's level has surpassed Vietnam'

Indonesia's Asnawi Mangkualam believes that Indonesia's current level is higher than Vietnam's and is confident of winning the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup - Asia region.

Indonesia is currently ranked 142nd in FIFA, 37 places below Vietnam. However, Asnawi Mangkualam believes Indonesia is stronger based on the 1-0 win over Vietnam in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup, where he scored from the penalty spot. This was Indonesia's first win over their opponents since the first leg of the 2016 AFF Cup semi-finals.

"Indonesia's level is higher than Vietnam's," Asnawi told Indonesian media on the afternoon of March 19. "The victory at the 2023 Asian Cup will give us more confidence in the upcoming matches."

Defender Asnawi Mangkualam in Indonesia's 1-0 win over Vietnam in the 2023 Asian Cup group stage. Photo: AFC

According to the defender born in 1999, Indonesia's strength is much better than before thanks to the addition of high-quality players and the naturalization policy. This time, the team has nine players of mixed blood, including defender Jay Idzes, Nathan Tjoe Aon, midfielder Thom Haye and striker Ragnar Oratmagoen, who are new recruits.

Asnawi said: "We are energized by new players. Meanwhile, Vietnam's force has not changed much compared to previous confrontations."

The Indonesian captain is confident of victory in the match at home at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on March 21. However, Asnawi will be absent due to suspension after receiving two yellow cards in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In addition, Thom Haye and Ragnar Oratmagoen will also not be able to participate due to completing naturalization procedures after the final registration deadline on March 14.

Indonesia is currently at the bottom of Group F of the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers – Asia, with one point and two points behind Vietnam. They aim to win four points in the next two matches to take second place from their opponents.

Indonesia's striker Marselino Ferdinan (white shirt). Photo: Lam Thoa — Indonesia's striker Marselino Ferdinan (white shirt). Photo: *Lam Thoa*

Like Asnawi, Marselino Ferdinan wants to maintain a positive result against Vietnam after a long period of frequent defeats, but does not underestimate his opponents. "Every team has high self-esteem," said the striker born in 2004. "No one wants to lose to opponents in the same region."

Meanwhile, center-back Justin Hubner said the team practiced a lot of set pieces such as corner kicks in the training session on the evening of March 18, and started applying technical tactics on the evening of March 19. The player who just transferred from Premier League club Wolves to J-League club Cerezo Osaka affirmed that he is ready to play fiercely, fighting to win the final victory. "We need to forget about winning the Asian Cup," Hubner said. "It means nothing for the upcoming confrontation."

Hieu Luong

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