In a historic moment, the Indonesian national football team, Timnas Indonesia, has secured its place in the Round of 16 of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in its history. The confirmation came after the match between Kyrgyzstan and Oman ended in a 1-1 draw in the final Group F encounter on Thursday night (January 25, 2024).

Kyrgyzstan initially fell behind to a goal from Oman's Muhsen Al-Ghassani in the 8th minute. However, Central Asian nation made a comeback with a goal from Ghana-born striker Joel Kojo, just 10 minutes before full time, resulting in a 1-1 draw. This score ensured Timnas Indonesia's qualification for the knockout stage of the 2023 Asian Cup through the last available slot as the third-best team in the group.

Before this crucial match, Kyrgyzstan had suffered two defeats, both ending in a 0-2 scoreline, against Thailand and Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Timnas Indonesia, also known as Garuda, entered the 2023 Asian Cup with the youngest squad among all participants and the lowest ranking when the group draw took place.

Despite a challenging start with a 1-3 loss to Iraq in the opening match, Ernando Ari and his team rebounded impressively with a 1-0 victory over Southeast Asian rival Vietnam in the second match. The journey continued with a 1-3 defeat against Japan in the final group-stage match. Historically, Indonesia had always struggled to progress beyond the group stage in its four previous participations in the tournament.

Following their historic qualification to the Round of 16, members of the Indonesian national team took to social media to share their joy. Players like Rafael Struick and Shayne Pattynama expressed their excitement, hoping that Garuda would continue to make history by progressing to the quarterfinals.

"We are through to the Round of 16! Let's continue to make history!" wrote Shayne Pattynama on his personal Instagram account @s.pattynama.

Rafael Struick, a striker for Timnas Indonesia, also shared his happiness about being part of the squad that created history. The ADO Den Haag player expressed his joy on his personal Instagram account, saying, "We are making history," under the handle @rafaelstruick.

Several other players, including Asnawi Mangkualam and Witan Sulaeman, shared their happiness on social media platforms, highlighting the team's journey to the Round of 16.

Asnawi Mangkualam wrote, "The journey continues.. Round of 16, here we come!" on his Instagram account @asnawi_bhr.

"Alhamdulillah, Next Round," said Witan Sulaeman on his Instagram account @witansulaiman_.

Looking ahead, Timnas Indonesia will face the 2015 AFC Asian Cup champions, Australia, who secured the top spot in Group B in the Round of 16 on Sunday (January 28, 2024). The Garuda squad is now fully focused on preparing for the upcoming challenge against the Kangaroos.