Jakarta. Indonesia’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia ended on Tuesday after a narrow 1-0 defeat to South Korea at Gelora Delta Stadium in Sidoarjo, East Java.

The decisive moment came early, in the sixth minute, when South Korean midfielder Hwang Do-yoon capitalized on a defensive lapse to slot the ball past Indonesian goalkeeper Cahya Supriadi. Despite Indonesia’s spirited response in the second half, including several key saves from Supriadi and a last-gasp chance in the 93rd minute from a corner by Arkhan Fikri, the Young Garudas failed to find an equalizer.

Head coach Gerald Venenburg admitted the physical gap between his squad and the South Koreans was telling.
“Our players rarely get regular game time in competitive leagues. When you face a team like Korea, who are physically strong and play every week, we struggle to keep up, especially after the 60th minute,” Venenburg said after the match.

He added that Indonesia’s U-23 program would undergo a thorough evaluation, with plans to establish regular youth tournaments aimed at giving players more match experience.

“Korean players grow up competing every week. If we want to be competitive at the international level, we must provide similar opportunities,” he said.

The loss leaves the Young Garudas out of contention in the qualification stage, where only 11 group winners and the four best runners-up advance to the finals. With several teams, including Turkmenistan, Yemen, China, and Iran, already securing six points in the runners-up standings, Indonesia’s path closed with the defeat.