JAKARTA (21 Aug 2011) – In preparation for the AFF Under-19 Championship early next month, the Indonesia national team is in Medan to play a string of friendlies.
Kennedy, the team manager of the Indonesia U19 team, said that with the Muslim fasting month in full swing in Acheh, it is better that they head to Medan instead.
The majority of the players in the U19 team are from the city of Acheh – the team which recently emerged victorious in the Arafura Games in Australia.
“During the month of Ramadhan, it is tough to arrange for matches. But in Medan we have already got two matches and we where we will play against club TGM (Thamrin Graha Metropolitan) next,” added Kennedy.
In the two friendlies that they have played earlier, the Indonesian U19 team had conceded a 3-1 loss to Pra Pon Sumut (an U23 side) and then a 2-0 defeaat to PSMS Medan (U21).
Kennedy added that after Medan, the U19 squad will then head to Bandung and Jakarta before facing their final tune-up test against the Indonesian Under-23 squad (on 5 September 2011).
“From these friendlies, it will allow us to tweak the weaknesses of the team especially when we will be up against some tough teams in the AFF tournament next month where other than hosts Myanmar, we will also be up against Laos, Brunei and Cambodia,” he added.
AFF UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP
Group A: Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia
Group B: Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam
