FIFA U-17 World Cup: Indonesia sensations rise to the occasion on a historic night; Canada outclassed by stylish Spain
On 10 November every year Indonesia celebrates its National Heroes Day to commemorate the “Battle of Surabaya” in the country’s fight for independence in 1945. The festive occasion is also called the National Remembrance Day.
From now onwards, 10 November 2023 will also go down as a special day for another group of Indonesians: the 21 players called up by the coach Bima Sakti for a match that will never be forgotten. They fought fiercely to grab a draw against Ecuador in the Group A opener of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023™, in the same location of Surabaya.
This was the first ever game played by the Indonesian national team in any category of football World Cups. The symbology of the occasion is further accentuated when we take into account it is also the first time that the country has organised a FIFA tournament and huge expectations surrounded the event.
The Indonesian youngsters were up to the challenge, transforming the immense pressure into pure energy.
“It was special,” captain Iqbal Gwijangee told FIFA. “We played for our country, in front of our fans, who came to spur us on. It was an extremely tough game for us.”
The young footballers were certainly not alone out there. They had the fervent backing of tens of thousands of spectators in the Gelora Bung Tomo stadium. From the ovation following the national anthem to the explosion of joy when Arkhan Kaka scored on 22 minutes, the Indonesian fans were an integral part of the spectacle and showed they were also up to the occasion.
“We want to thank all the supporters who came to the stadium, and those watching on TV. I hope they can come again in the next game and that we can give them a victory,” added the captain.
The equaliser by Allen Obando just six minutes later did not dampen the atmosphere that was at fever pitch after the opening ceremony, in which singers Aurelie Moeremans and Wika Salim performed.
Likewise, even when Ecuador took full control of the match in the second half, the Indonesians did not drop their guard. This is true of the players, who even when fully stretched overcame the pressure and physical weariness, and the fans, who sang incessantly until the final whistle.
“I’m proud of our team and my team-mates,” ” said Gwijangee. “It was very tiring. Ecuador put a lot of pressure on us. They threw six players into attack. We had to fight, but we managed to keep our concentration in the final minutes.
In their first game in the competition, Indonesia also earned their first point. This was not only historic, but also could be valuable in their efforts to reach the round of 16, given that in addition to the top two teams in each group, the four best third-placed nations will also progress to the knockout phase.
Spain lived up to expectations in Surakarta, defeating 10-man Canada with goals from Marc Guiu and Quim Junyent in their opening game in the FIFA U-17 2023 World Cup.
Pau Cubarsi and Daniel Yanez both missed excellent opportunities in the first 20 minutes as the Europeans got off to a fast start.
Midway through the first quarter, Pablo Lopez fired up a wonderful cross for Guiu to head home, proving they wouldn’t be denied for long.
Alessandro Biello’s dismissal from the game in the 37th minute for stamping on Spain captain Pau Prim off the ball made an already difficult assignment for Canada considerably more difficult.
The referee disqualified Canada’s No. 4 after checking the pitchside monitor, despite the officials’ initial failure to see the incident.
As Spain’s numerical advantage started to show, traffic continued in the same general direction during the second session.
Before Junyent entered the area and watched a rasping shot strike the crossbar, Guiu went near once more, heading just wide from a Hector Fort cross.
Soon afterward, Junyent would not repeat the same error twice.
After a wonderful one-two with Barcelona teammate Guiu, the midfielder scored by slotting past Nathaniel Abraham to seal the victory.
