Suara.com – PSSI General Chair, Erick Thohir responded positively to the results of the 2023 U-17 World Cup draw which placed the Indonesian National Team in Group A along with teams that were considered not too tough.
The drawing results for the 2023 U-17 World Cup took place at FIFA headquarters, Zurich on Friday (15/9/2023) evening WIB. The Indonesian U-17 national team is in Group A with Ecuador, Panama and Morocco.
Referring to the competition map, the opponents faced by the U-17 Indonesian National Team are not countries that have a distinguished history in this event.
Only Ecuador will probably be the toughest opponent for the Garuda Asia squad. They have appeared in five editions of the U-17 World Cup before this year with their best achievement being the quarter-finals (1995, 2015).
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Meanwhile for Panama, this is the third edition of the U-17 World Cup that they have participated in, with the best achievement being the last 16 in 2011.
The Indonesian U-17 national team is in Group A with Ecuador, Panama and Morocco in the 2023 U-17 World Cup. (Doc. PSSI)
Meanwhile, Morocco previously only appeared in the 2013 U-17 World Cup. In that event, they stopped in the round of 16.
“I think this is the best draw,” said Erick Thohir when asked by commentators during the live broadcast of the 2023 U-17 World Cup draw on Indosiar, Friday (15/9/2023).
“There are other hopes, but I think with Panama, Ecuador and Morocco, there is hope that we just have to really prepare the U-17 (Indonesian National Team),” he added.
Even so, it could be said that the opponents faced by the U-17 Indonesian National Team were not easy to beat. Moreover, the 2023 U-17 World Cup will certainly be attended by the best teams throughout the world.
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Apart from that, Indonesia has the advantage of playing as host. For this reason, the Garuda Asia squad – nicknamed the U-17 Indonesian National Team – was placed in Pot 1 of Group A.