Prior to kickoff, the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium observed a moment of silence. On October 1, 2022, 135 lives were lost in the Kanjuruhan tragedy. Four years later to the day, Indonesia recorded a staggering 9-2 victory over Bangladesh to seal a spot in the FIFA ASEAN Cup final, with the group-deciding goal arriving in the 97th minute.
The math heading into the final matchday was simple on paper, yet formidable in execution. Indonesia and Malaysia were level on points, with Malaysia holding the edge on goal difference. Meanwhile in Bandung, the Malaysians were dismantling Singapore in a match that would end 6-0. Indonesia needed a seven-goal margin of victory over Bangladesh just to match Malaysia’s goal difference, after which goals scored would serve as the tiebreaker.
The opening exchanges suggested that required margin was well within reach. Mitchell Baker opened the scoring in the 11th minute off an Ole Romeny cross before doubling the lead in the 20th, with Rizky Ridho making it 3-0 by the 32nd minute. Shahriar Emon pulled one back for Bangladesh with a header, but Baker responded with two more goals before the break (38′, 42′). Justin Hubner then capped off a dominant first half with a header from a Calvin Verdonk corner to make it 6-1. Four goals in 45 minutes for Baker, at just 19 years old. Born in Melbourne, he acquired Indonesian citizenship on July 13 through his mother—whose parents were born in Yogyakarta and Semarang. Currently playing for Georgetown University, he was selected tenth overall in the MLS Draft by the Colorado Rapids and had already marked his international debut on July 27 with a hat-trick against Cambodia.
The second half proved to be far more congested. Bangladesh goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon produced a string of key saves, and in the 84th minute, Romeny had a strike ruled out for offside. The 7-1 goal finally arrived in the 90th minute through Luke Vickery, but just a minute later, Farhaan Ali Wahid made it 7-2 for Bangladesh. Moments later, word arrived that Malaysia had wrapped up a 6-0 victory driven by a Bergson da Silva hat-trick, putting them back ahead of Indonesia (+9 to +7). The crowd in Jakarta quickly realized two more goals were needed, with time rapidly expiring. Kevin Diks answered the call to make it 8-2 in the 96th minute. Then, in the 97th minute, Baker—again setup by Romeny—pushed home the 9-2 final scoreline for his fifth goal of the evening. Indonesia and Malaysia finished tied on 7 points and a +9 goal difference, but Indonesia claimed top spot on total goals scored (11 to 9) to book a showdown with Thailand in the final.
Tensions and Decisions in Group A
This group ultimately came down to the fine margins of the direct clash against Malaysia on Monday, September 28—a goalless draw heavily defined by the decisions of South Korean referee Ko Hyung-jin. After having an early Justin Hubner goal disallowed for a marginal offside, the referee issued a yellow card to Thom Haye in the 37th minute for a challenge on Arif Aiman, only to upgrade it to a straight red following a VAR review. Forced to play over an hour with ten men, Indonesia dug in to salvage a point. The trend continued against Bangladesh with Romeny’s disallowed strike. In a group decided in the dying seconds, every denied goal and every minute spent in numerical inferiority carried immense weight, fueling a growing sentiment among the home supporters that the Timnas Garuda’s rapid rise is beginning to unsettle the established regional hierarchy.
Herdman-Thohir Axis
For head coach John Herdman, this final carries extra significance. The English tactician was appointed on January 3 to replace Patrick Kluivert—who stepped down in October following World Cup qualification elimination—who had himself succeeded Shin Tae-yong. Herdman previously led Canada to the 2022 World Cup and coached Toronto FC, but saw his Indonesian side exit in the group stage of the AFF Cup over the summer, finishing third with 7 points. Hosting the FIFA ASEAN Cup offered an immediate path to redemption.
Operating behind the scenes is PSSI President Erick Thohir, who took office in February 2023, four months after Kanjuruhan, and was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports in September 2025. The former Inter Milan president has spearheaded a strategic focus on naturalizing European-trained players of Indonesian descent, predominantly from Dutch academies: Audero, Diks, Hubner, Verdonk, Haye, Oratmangoen, and Romeny. With this core anchored alongside Baker upfront, they delivered the historic 9-2 result. While the upcoming clash with Thailand marks the inaugural final of this specific tournament, memory inevitably turns to the AFF Cup, where Indonesia bears the scar of six final appearances without a single title (2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2020).
