Indonesia and Cambodia played out a six-goal thriller as the Garudas made a winning start at the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup with a 4-2 victory at Bishan Stadium.

Having sat out the opening round of matches, Indonesia made a flying start with defender Rachmat Irianto scoring twice and Evan Dimas adding another in a three-goal first-half blitz that also saw Cambodia score from a corner.

Two second-half substitutes, Indonesia’s Ramai Rumakiek and Cambodia’s Prak Mony Udom, grabbed further goals to round out the scoring in a win that Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong described as pleasing but still with plenty of areas to work on.

“It wasn’t an easy match but fortunately we scored three goals in the first half so that was a positive, but the players thought that we could beat them easily after that and that affected us in a bad way in the second half," said the Korean. 

“I feel that the players weren’t perhaps in 100% physical condition but I still have strong belief that we can play better moving forward.”

It took Indonesia just four minutes to get going as a corner from the left from Dimas was headed home by an unmarked Irianto in what was the fastest goal so far at the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup.

Shortly after the quarter hour Indonesia doubled their lead through their captain Dimas as he brushed off a couple of defenders, with his shot taking a touch on its way past Hul Kimhuy.

Ezra Walian tried his hand from distance midway through the half only to see that effort fly wide of the target, but with Indonesia applying constant pressure it was little surprise as they further extended their lead when the towering Irianto was again left all alone from a corner in the 33^rd minute.

Cambodia then pulled a goal back as Indonesia were also guilty of switching off at a corner with Yue Safy heading home at the near post to make it 3-1 in the 37^th minute and after Irfan Jaya clipped the crossbar shortly afterwards for Indonesia that was the way that a thrilling opening half concluded.

Keo Sokpheng came close to handing Cambodia a lifeline as he fired straight at Syahrul Fadillah a minute after the restart before Dimas also sent off a testing effort from range shortly afterwards as the second half continued at a lively pace.

It was Indonesia though that further extended their lead as half-time substitute Rumakiek cut back inside the box and smashed past Kimhuy to make it 4-1 in the 54^th minute.

Once again though Cambodia pegged back their more fancied hosts as a deep free-kick from Prak was deflected past the keeper on the hour to make it 4-2.

They then came close to grabbing a third but the impressive Lim Pisoth couldn’t direct his close-range header on target in the 70^th minute before having another half chance with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Chreng Polroth saw a free-kick tipped over the bar shortly afterwards as Cambodia were repeatedly testing the Garudas but after Rumakiek couldn’t convert an 86^th minute chance that was the way that things ended with Indonesia collecting the three points.

Defeated they may have been but Cambodian coach Ryu Hirose said he was again impressed with the performance from a team that is being built very much with the future in mind.

“Today we wanted to give some younger players a chance to feature and I think that they started a little anxiously but after some more experienced players came we settled down and played quite well," he said. 

“This is a team that we are preparing for the future so we want them to keep developing – both mentality and physically – and I think they showed that today.”