After setting the previous tournament alight with a crop of hugely promising young talents, Indonesia is set to once again rely heavily on youth at the upcoming AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022.

Coach Shin Tae-yong has shown a real willingness to trust in the nation’s growing crop of starlets as he demonstrated by starting seven players aged 23 or younger in the second leg of the final last time out.

This time around it’s likely that more than a dozen of the final squad will be those also in the Olympic age bracket and they have the ability to really star for the Garuda.

Even with their tender ages, some are already established internationals whilst others come with huge potential and will be looking to make a name for themselves at the regional showpiece.

Here, we take a look at five U-23 stars who could shine at the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 and you can cast your vote as to who you think will make the biggest impact.

 

 

Pratama Arhan

It’s hard to believe that Pratama Arhan is still just 20 years of age (although he will turn 21 two days before Indonesia’s opener against Cambodia) given the impact he made on the previous tournament.

Not only did he lock down a regular spot at left-back, he also scored one of the goals of the tournament and was named as the best young player.

To cap all that off he then earned a move to Japanese football where he’s on the books of J2 powerhouse Tokyo Verdy. 

Marselino Ferdinan

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PSSI (@pssi)

At just 18 years old, Marselino Ferdinan is one of the most promising of the next wave of Indonesian talents and, having made his senior debut earlier this year, looks set to be rewarded with a spot in the squad for the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

An attacking midfielder, Marselino has starred at club level since making his debut shortly after his 17th birthday and so impressive has he been that he’s already caught the eye of European giants Feyenoord.

With his Garuda debut in January this year he become the second youngest Indonesian international of all time and given his passing instincts, finishing, movement and vision it’s easy to see why he’s so highly rated.

Egy Maulana

Long touted as a future star, 22-year-old Egy Maulana is already a key part of the youthful Indonesian side.

Naturally at home on the right wing but also capable of playing centrally, the Slovakia-based star will be a crucial part of an Indonesian squad that looks to go one better than last time when they lost the final to Thailand, with Egy on the scoresheet in the second leg.

Left-footed, although also comfortable on his right, his time abroad has helped hone the natural pace and movement and he’s now one of the most dangerous wide players in Southeast Asian football.

Ramadhan Sananta

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PSSI (@pssi)

One of the most promising young strikers in Southeast Asia, Ramadhan Sananta has already made his senior national team debut despite just turning 20 last month.

Having starred in limited opportunities at club level this season, hopes are high that he may be next in line to continue Indonesia’s proud tradition of deadly strikers after the likes of Bambang Pamungkas and Budi Sudarsono starred for the Garuda over the past couple of decades.

Although there’s still a long way to go before reaching those heights, his physicality and finishing already stand out and he could be a breakout player at the upcoming AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

Witan Sulaeman

Even though he has only just turned 21, Witan Sulaeman is already a crucial part of the youthful Garuda squad.

With two goals and five assists in the previous AFF Championship, Witan was a breakout star and his versatility could see him line up on either wing or through the middle for Indonesia at the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

Having now been in Europe for almost two years at clubs in Serbia, Poland and Slovakia he will be expected to bring that experience with him to the regional stage as Indonesia look to claim their first AFF Championship title.