The Indonesian national football team, Timnas Indonesia, has received a boost ahead of their second friendly match against Libya as Elkan Baggott has arrived in Turkey to join the Garuda squad. The team is gearing up to face Libya again in their second friendly, scheduled to take place at the Titanic Mardan Sports Complex in Antalya on Friday, January 5, 2024.

Elkan Baggott, who currently plays in the English League Two with Ipswich Town, expressed his excitement about joining the national team. "It's a good day, the pitch conditions are excellent, and my teammates are in good shape. I'm ready for the Asian Cup later," said Elkan, as quoted from the official PSSI website. He added that he and his teammates will utilize the remaining time to fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup in 2023. "We still have a few more friendly matches, so we are gearing up to face everything by making the most of the time available before the tournament begins," Elkan emphasized.

In their first friendly against Libya on January 2, 2024, Indonesia faced a 0-4 defeat, with goals from Ahmed Ekrawa (25'), Omar Al Khoja (58'), Nouradin Elgelaib (89'), and Alaa Al Qejdar (90'+2). Reacting to the loss, coach Shin Tae-yong, a South Korean tactician, emphasized that he did not focus on the final result but used the match to monitor the players' physical conditions. "In yesterday's game, I didn't pay attention to the final result but rather checked the players' conditions. Since our training camp in Turkey, we have been working on improving the players' fitness. Fans might be disappointed with the result, but trust me, the team is making positive progress," Shin Tae-yong stated, as quoted from the official PSSI page.

Following the second friendly against Libya in Turkey, the Indonesian national team will travel to Qatar on Saturday, January 6, 2024. In Qatar, under the guidance of Shin Tae-yong, they have one more scheduled friendly against Iran on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. The Asian Cup 2023 is set to be held in Qatar from Friday, January 12, 2024, to Saturday, February 10, 2024. Based on the draw for the group stage, Timnas Indonesia is placed in Group D alongside Japan, Iraq, and Vietnam. Indonesia will kick off their campaign in the Asian Cup 2023 by facing Iraq on the first matchday of Group D on Monday, April 15, 2023.