Indonesia lives the dream – while Malaysia dreams on

A SEA of red descended in Doha as a nation dared to dream the impossible – and remain on the verge of making it happen.

Indonesia’s run in the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup has been nothing short of sensational. The players had wanted to go all the way to the final, but sadly for them, they finished fourth, missing out on an automatic Olympics berth.

But by any measure, it was a commendable feat.

Their Olympics dream is still alive. They just have to beat Africa’s Guinea in Clairefontaine, France, in a playoff on May 9 to book a spot in Paris 2024.

Indonesia, once the minnows, are now playing some of the best football in Asia. For every ball lost, there would be two to three players pressing for it just like a prying Garuda. When they have the ball, they attack with the speed of a cheetah.

Like Malaysia, they have been strengthened with the inclusion of several mixed heritage players from Europe but the synergy between them and the local players is impressive.

Marselino Ferdinan, Ivar Jenner, Justin Hubner, Rizky Redho, Pratama Arhan and Witan Sulaeman are already great assets for the team and have many years ahead of them.

Malaysia, who lost all their group games in Doha, can only look on in envy but we should also be proud of what our neighbours have achieved under the tutelage of South Korean Shin Tae-yong and the leadership of Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) president Erik Thohir.

We have had our highs but lately, it has been mainly lows. After the Harimau Muda went out with a whimper in Doha, there have been question marks.

In the matches against Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Kuwait, the side led by Spaniard Juan Torres Garrido looked devoid of ideas and some key players looked listless.

Captain Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi was left stating the obvious: “Maybe this is not the tournament for me. I know many people do not like me. But it is okay,” he said.

He could have stepped up as a leader by saying drastic changes are needed. Instead, it felt like a lament.

We have to ask ourselves if we truly are ready for the big stage, or if we have the big characters we need to steer our nation forward.

Football Association of Malaysia president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said Indonesia are peaking at the right time at the right place but then tried to pat himself on the back, even after the failure.

“Three months ago, FIFA praised us as one of the biggest movers in the world rankings. We easily forget that,” he said.

We cannot live in the past, it’s the future that matters.

Indonesia’s planning has been immaculate, especially in terms of the mixed-heritage selection and also their bravery to play young boys in the senior team.

The likes of Pratama, Rizky, Marselino and Witan are first-team players for the Garuda. Indonesia may be bolstered by Dutch-based players but it is the locals who are hogging the limelight.

They are not just peaking, they could be heading towards a long-term domination of the region. The players have no fear of any opponent.

I wish we could say the same about Malaysia. Yes, professionalism has improved with the introduction of naturalised and mixed heritage players, but the passion for the nation has to be higher.

We did move up the rankings quickly months ago but failed to capitalise on that. After the two defeats against Oman in the World Cup 2026 second-round qualifiers, we are back in the doldrums.

Even the Malaysian Football League have to do their part. It’s time to make the league bigger, not smaller. With just 13 teams, each team play 24 league games in a season. It is just not enough for a player’s development.

The ball is back at Hamidin’s feet. We have to see what he does.

We should not be ashamed to learn from Indonesia, and from Erik. Why look to Europe and the Far East when we can just look at our neighbours?

We learn not to be their understudies but to put the lessons to good use. Who knows, we could come out tops in a Nusantara Derby real soon.