After leading Indonesia to the Round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Cup, Shin Tae-yong achieved another historic milestone on Sunday (April 21) by guiding his side to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup with a convincing 4-1 win over Jordan.
Despite needing only a draw to advance from Group A, Indonesia produced an impressive performance at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium to book their place in the quarterfinals.
Previously ranked 134th in the world, Indonesia was considered an underdog at the tournament. However, Shin Tae-yong's strategic skills led to two historic achievements for the Garuda team.
In the quarterfinals of the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup, Indonesia will face South Korea, who are ranked 23rd in the world. This match is expected to be a tough challenge as both teams are vying for a ticket to the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
The AFC U-23 Asian Cup is not only a prestigious regional competition in Asia, but also a crucial selection process for Asia's representatives at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
South Korea has qualified for the Men's Olympic Football Tournament for the ninth consecutive year. If they make it to Paris, it will be South Korea's 10th consecutive appearance at the world's premier multi-sport event.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's first and last appearance in the Olympic men's football finals came in 1956 at the 16th Melbourne Games in Australia, where they finished seventh. However, their success was attributed to Taiwan's refusal to play in protest at FIFA's ban on the use of the red and white flag.
If Indonesia manages to reach the finals this time around, Shin Tae-yong will once again write his name in Indonesian sporting history.
Hwang Sun-Hong: The Real Competition Is Just Starting Now
According to the Chosun report, it is difficult to predict the outcome of the quarter-final match between Indonesia and South Korea in the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup. Chosun notes Indonesia's strong momentum in the tournament and highlights Shin Tae-yong's invaluable presence due to his deep understanding of the Korean team.
Shin Tae-yong has played a pivotal role in the South Korean national team for five seasons, serving as assistant coach of Team A from 2014 to 2017, head coach, U-23 coach from 2015 to 2016, FIFA U-20 World Cup coach from 2016 to 2017, and Team A coach from 2017 to 2018.
South Korea coach Hwang Sun-hong also admits that Garuda team are not to be underestimated, as reported by Newsis. He assures that the real match will start when they face Indonesia.
Hwang was surprised by the impressive performance of Young Garuda under Shin Tae-yong during the AFC U-23 Championship 2024. He believes that Shin Tae-yong has built a strong team capable of beating South Korea.
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