Doha. The Indonesia National Football Team is gearing up for a highly anticipated showdown against Australia in the Round of 16 of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Team Garuda's head coach, Shin Tae-yong, says his team is ready to surprise one of the top teams in Asia with their performance.

"Australia has exceptional strength and energy. I believe these aspects might be their greatest strengths," said Shin Tae-yong during the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

"However, we have prepared well and will showcase positive energy from our young players. Hopefully, we can create surprises in this extraordinary match," he added.

Shin Tae-yong said that his team would fight hard to make history by advancing to the quarter-finals.

"While I would be delighted if surprises come our way, it's clear that it won't be easy. We will play with a strong mentality," he said.

Despite being the underdog, Indonesia remains undeterred. Left-back Pratama Arhan said that the Red-and-White squad is prepared to take on the Socceroos.

"Our preparations, including players, coaches, and staff, have been excellent. We are ready for the match. The players will work hard on the field. I will give my best in the upcoming match. We will give our all," he added.

Securing a place in the last 16 of the Asian Cup, Indonesia made history with a vital 1-1 draw in the Group F match against Kirgizstan and Oman on Thursday.

This outcome ended Oman's journey in the competition and elevated Indonesia to become one of the four best third-placed teams in the group stage. This narrow qualification ensures their entry into the knockout round.

In contrast, Australia advanced as the Group B champions with 7 points from 3 matches.

Indonesia and Australia played against each other 18 times. Australia mostly won, with 14 victories, three draws, and just one loss. Indonesia's last win was on Aug. 30, 1981, in the World Cup qualifying rounds, when Herry Risdianto scored the only goal.

Despite this poor record, Indonesia holds a slight chance. In their latest meeting, Australia narrowly won 1-0 in the AFC Asian Cup Group B on March 3, 2010, courtesy of a goal from Mark Milligan. In the 2009 Asian Cup, Indonesia secured a 0-0 draw against Australia in the group stage.

On the Australian side, Craig Goodwin is eager to see a sharper attacking edge as they face Indonesia in the knockout stage. With only four goals in the group stage, Goodwin emphasized the importance of ruthlessness in the final third to elevate Australia's game to the next level.

“When we are the favorites, it’s harder for sure. We have shown that we are one of the best in Asia and we must show our ruthlessness. We can see what Indonesia has done and how they are attacking, so that’s something we have to be aware of and we can’t drop our focus," the 32-year-old Al Wehda SC player said on Saturday.

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