Sportsmanship and Fighting Power of "Young Garuda"

Controversy colored Indonesia's 0-2 defeat to Qatar in the U-23 Asian Cup match. Indonesia must immediately "move on".

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Indonesian midfielder, Ivar Jenner, was dribbling the ball during the first match of Group A in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup against Qatar, on Monday (15/4/2024), at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar. Ivar became the first Indonesian player to receive a red card in the game.

Referee controversy colored Indonesia's 0-2 defeat to hosts Qatar in the first match of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan, Monday (15/4/2024) . Indonesian team supporters and officials felt that the decisions of the referee from Tajikistan, Nasrullo Kabirov, were unfair, benefiting the hosts and harming Indonesia.

The first controversy occurred when Kabirov awarded a penalty to Qatar at the end of the first half. Initially, Kabirov gave a free kick to Indonesia after an incident involving Indonesian defender Rizky Ridho, and Qatar striker, Mahdi Salem Al-Mejaba. However, the decision was changed to a penalty after Kabirov consulted with Thailand's video assistant referee (VAR) assistant, Sivakorin Pu-Udon.

Kabirov has made another controversial decision by issuing a second yellow card to Indonesian midfielder, Ivar Jenner, just one minute into the second half. Jenner was deemed to have committed a foul against Saifeldeen Hassan. However, upon replay, Jenner was seen avoiding Saifeldeen's tackle.

Also read: Referee Controversy Dashes the Hopes of the U-23 Indonesian National Team

Unfortunately for Indonesia in this case, VAR was unable to intervene, as Jenner was shown a second yellow card instead of a direct red card—which is one of the four situations where VAR can get involved. The other situations, according to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the world's governing body for the sport's rules, are penalty or not, goal or not, and mistaken identity when the referee issues a card.

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Referee Nasrullo Kabirov from Tajikistan approached Qatar and Indonesia players during the first match of Group A in the 2024 Asia U-23 Cup on Monday (15/4/2024) at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar. Kabirov made several decisions that were detrimental to Indonesia.

Indonesia was forced to play with only 10 players from the beginning of the second half, before Kabirov gave another red card to Ramadhan Sananta at the end of the second half. The "Garuda Muda" had to end the match with only nine players.

Indonesian coach Shin Tae-yong said that the referee's decision was not like in a football match, but in a comedy show. PSSI General Chair Erick Thohir stated that PSSI would send a letter of protest to the Asian Football Confederation, AFC (Kompas, 16/4/2024).

Also read: Controversial Referee, PSSI Files Protest to AFC

Controversy often occurs in football. VAR, which is expected to be able to reduce this, sometimes even creates new controversy.

However, this is where the chivalrous attitude of Indonesian players needs to be demonstrated. A good example was shown by Ivar Jenner when he received a very controversial second yellow card. He got it from very minimal contact. Without excessive protest, he immediately walked off the field.

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Rafael Struick, an Indonesian striker, is in a duel to win the ball against Qatar defender Al-Hasmi Mohialdin in the first match of Group A in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup, on Monday (15/4/2024), at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Rafael failed to save the "Garuda Muda" from defeat.

Of course, we also admire the struggle of the national team players because after losing a player, they still showed a never give up spirit and dared to continue pressing to score a retaliatory goal. In fact, statistically, Indonesia dominated the game with 57% ball possession compared to Qatar's 43%.

Garuda Muda also made more shots, 10 times compared to 9 times. Ridho and friends also made more passes, 393 compared to 302, with a successful pass rate of 79 percent compared to 74 percent.

Also read: Shin Tae-yong: Cheating Happened Since We Went To The Stadium

This mental attitude is what is needed. Sportsmanship and a never-give-up attitude. By being sportsmanlike, Indonesian players can set an example of how we should face defeat, even if it arises from a painful process of feeling cheated. If protesting is desired, it must follow the designated rules.

The protest by PSSI to AFC may perhaps be the most appropriate step in responding to the controversy, even though it can be ensured that it will not change the defeat into victory. Supporters may express their anger through social media, but should not go beyond that.

AFC/MUSTAFA ABUMUNES

Full support was given by Indonesian diaspora during the first match of Group A of the 2024 U-23 Asia Cup on Monday (15/4/2024) at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar. Around 4,000 "Garuda Muda" supporters filled the stadium's stands.

Regardless of the end result, the controversy serves as a reminder that football is not just about winning and losing, but also about integrity and fairness. The parties involved, especially the AFC, must evaluate this incident to prevent similar controversies from recurring in future matches.

Moving forward, there should be an improvement in the standard of competition quality in the country, including the quality of referees. Therefore, national team players from the Indonesian League will not be surprised when playing international matches with referees who strictly enforce the rules on the field. Indonesian players also will not take actions that could harm the team.

Regarding the controversy against Qatar, Indonesian players must immediately move on to prepare for the next match. Forget the painful defeat in the first match, and then fight tooth and nail to achieve victory in the matches against Australia on Thursday (18/4/2024) and Jordan, Sunday (21/4/2024).