U17 Indonesia unbeaten in 2 matches, has a chance to pass the group stage of the U17 World Cup

After drawing their opening match against U17 Ecuador, U17 Indonesia faced U17 Panama in the second round of the U17 World Cup group stage. This is a tournament that the archipelago nation is the host. Coach Bima Sakti and his team continued to leave an impression when they earned their second point, thereby keeping their hopes of passing the group stage alive.

In the early stages of the match, U17 Panama pressed the field comprehensively. U17 Indonesia stayed in their home field and fended off the opponent's attacks. However, not many dangerous situations were created.

In the 19th minute, U17 Indonesia had the first notable shot. Jehan Pahlevi shot from a distance but could not beat goalkeeper Manuel Baltuano.

The game situation did not change much after this situation, but U17 Indonesia became more confident when organizing some dangerous counterattacks.

Kaka (No. 8) celebrates his goal in the match against U17 Panama. (Photo: Getty Images)

The difference in the match came at the end of the first half. In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, home goalkeeper Ikram Al Giffari passed the ball to Panama U17 striker Oldemar Castillo, who dribbled past two Indonesia U17 defenders before scoring the opening goal.

In the second half, the unexpected happened. In the 54th minute, Arkhan Purwanto Kaka received the ball from a teammate's cross before finishing into the Panama net. This was the player's second goal at the U17 World Cup. Before that, he also scored in the draw with U17 Ecuador.

Coach Bima Sakti decided to replace Achmad Zidan and Hanif Ramadhan to increase the fighting spirit of the U17 Indonesia midfield. They did not have much possession of the ball but created enough danger at certain times.

In the 68th minute, Kaka had a chance to score a double. However, his shot was not dangerous enough to defeat goalkeeper Manuel Baltuano. In the 82nd minute, the home fans almost had a chance to celebrate with a chaotic situation in front of the Panama U17 goal. However, the away team's defenders played focused and neutralized the danger.

Before the end of the match, U17 Indonesia had another significant opportunity. Hanif Ramadhan received the ball from Kaka before shooting in a favorable position. However, player number 6 unfortunately missed.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Indonesia U17 has 2 points, ranking third in Group A. They are 1 and 2 points behind Morocco U17 and Ecuador U17 respectively. If the archipelago team defeats Morocco U17 in the final match, they will qualify for the next round.