TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Indonesian national team coach Rahmad Darmawan has advised the Indonesia U-23 team to stay alert against Thailand in the semi-finals of the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup. He noted that the young War Elephants are fast and have sharp counterattacks.
“They are a very dangerous team,” Rahmad told Tempo on Wednesday night, July 23, 2025.
Rahmad believes that the Indonesian squad needs to reinforce their defense and adopt a more flexible playing style. He explained that Thailand is likely to allow Indonesia, coached by Gerald Vanenburg, to move into their defensive zone before launching swift counterattacks.
“They will wait, then counter quickly,” said the former Persija Jakarta and Barito Putera coach.
According to Rahmad, Thailand consistently shows strength in tactical variation. Their formations often switch between 4-1-4-1 and 4-3-3, making their playing style highly adaptable.
“Sometimes the defenders move inside, midfielders drift wide—Thailand's tactical flexibility is excellent,” he added.
For this reason, Rahmad emphasized that Indonesia must be prepared for Thailand’s dangerous counterattacks, which are far more effective than those from the Philippines.
He noted that the Philippines lacked the speed needed to break Indonesia’s defense, while Thailand and Vietnam have the pace to execute such strategies effectively.
Another challenge awaits Indonesia. The team will be without Arkhan Fikri, who normally plays a crucial role in transitioning between defense and attack. Rahmad described Arkhan as the team’s best defensive filter.
“It’s hard for me to say who should replace him because the other players have different strengths,” he said, in reference to Arkhan’s possible absence due to injury.
To address this, Rahmad suggested maintaining balance in the team’s formation. He recommended that coach Gerald Vanenburg could use Victor Dethan alongside two defensive midfielders to ensure midfield stability. When defending, the team could shift to a 4-4-2 shape, and when attacking, transform into a 4-2-4.
“We should play with two defensive midfielders when defending,” Rahmad explained.
One possible solution for Arkhan’s absence is to assign Robi Darwis as a deeper-lying midfielder.
Rahmad warned that without Arkhan, the team might struggle with distributing the ball efficiently. In the 4-4-2 system, Dethan could help control the tempo, working together with Achmad Maulana Syarif, who frequently cuts in from the right flank of the attack.
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