Traces Of The Indonesian Football National Team Participating In The 1979 U-20 World Cup

JAKARTA - The Indonesian U-20 football national team once surprised the world to qualify for the 1979 Japan U-20 World Cup. The Garuda Muda team is predicted to become a dark horse. They are in the same group (Group B) with strong countries such as Argentina, Poland, to straight.

That assumption is far off. Indonesia's participation proves that Garuda Muda is not yet at the same level as European and Latin American countries. Indonesia became the target of the opponent. Indonesia was lulled by 16 goals without reply. Two of these goals came from the magic feet of Diego Armando Maradona.

The journey of the Indonesian national team in the world of football is full of twists and turns. Effort after effort has been made so that the Indonesian national team at the junior and senior levels can qualify for the big celebration of the world football association, FIFA.

After all, Indonesia has a dream that Indonesia will become a subscription to the World Cup. That desire is indeed difficult. However, that doesn't mean it's impossible to get it. The U-20 Indonesian national team felt it in 1979. Previously, the Garuda Muda squad had appeared in the U-19 Asian Cup and joined in Group A: Iraq, Malaysia, and Jordan.

Indonesia does not have a high target. It can go through the group stage alone, thank you. However, that wish was conveyed. Indonesia also accompanied Iraq to qualify in the next phase: the quarter-finals. The Indonesian national team actually lost by North Korea.

Indonesia's dream of playing for the 1979 U-20 World Cup in Japan seems to have run aground. The rules state that only champions one and two can advance to the U-20 World Cup. Everything changed when two countries, Iraq and North Korea failed to appear. Indonesia then accompanied South Korea and Japan as part of Asia competing.

The decision was greeted with great fanfare. The opportunity to appear for the first time in Indonesia at the U-20 World Cup in Japan brought optimism. Many predict that Indonesia will go far. However, this belief became even smaller when Indonesia learned that they were members of Group B with Argentina, Poland, andnico.

The three teams are considered to have an above-average level of football. Argentina, especially. At that time Argentina had a young striker: Diego Armando Maradona.

From Maradona's movement, former Indonesian center-back Mundari imagined how dangerous Maradona and Argentina would be in the match. At that time, information about the style of the opponent's candidate's game was not easy to get as it is now.

"So, when assigned to guard Maradona in the field, Mundari admitted that she was quite blind about the strength of the potential opponent. The only information regarding Maradona and Argentina's style of play was obtained by Mundari from television broadcasts, it was not that complete," said I Gusti Agung Bagus Angga Putra in his writings in Kompas daily entitled Indonesia and Argentina in the 1979 Memories Center (2023).

Indonesia got a golden opportunity to appear in the 1979 Japan U-20 World Cup. The celebration which took place in Japan on August 25, September-7, 1979 brought more optimism. Sujtipto Suntoro, who had the opportunity to become an Indonesian coach, did not want his country to be underestimated.

He asked the Garuda Muda squad to start reading the enemy's game from their previous match. Moreover, Indonesia will face Argentina in its first match at the Omiya Stadium on August 26, 1979.

Sutjipto has entrusted defender Mundari Karya to kill the rare Argentine star player who is on the rise, Maradona. Malang cannot be rejected. Argentina is a difficult country for Indonesia to conquer.

Argentina's level of football is recognized above average. Maradona himself won two goals with a total of 5-0 wins. The defeat was initially considered a trigger for Garuda Muda. However, Indonesia actually lost again in the next match.

Indonesia lost to Poland with a score of 0-6. Indonesia is also from crission with a score of 0-5. As a result, Indonesia is at the bottom of the Group B standings. Indonesia has 16 conceded in total.

This means that Indonesia's dream of competing further does not come true. It is different from Argentina which can win the 1979 U-20 World Cup title.

At the Juvenile world championship (Youth Word Cup) or known as the U-20 World Cup which was held in Japan in 1979, Maradona was trusted to be captain. His team played fiercely to win this junior championship.

"In the city of Omiya Japan, the Argentine team had shaved the Indonesian team with a score of 5-0, on August 26, 1979. Two of them were scored by Maradona's feet, which at that time were not even 19 years old. Finally, he and his team brought home the junior world title," said Jo Pakagula in the book Diego Armando Maradona: Legend of the Hand of God (2009).

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