AFF Cup Star Stefano Lilipaly Vows to Bring Joy to Indonesia Football Fans

Manila, 26 Safar 1438/26 November 2016 (MINA) – They may have entered the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup regarded as underdogs but Indonesia midfielder Stefano Lilipaly is ready to bring some much-needed cheer to their fans by going far in the tournament.

Following a year-long ban by FIFA for government interference in football, Merah Putih were finally allowed to return to international action back in May.

Already in a difficult situation, coach Alfred Riedl’s cause was not helped by the fact that he was only allowed to call up two players from each Indonesian club, hindering his ability to assemble the strongest squad possible for the showpiece event.

Against the odds, they have so far managed to give a creditable account of themselves in Group A.

First, they gave defending champions and tournament favourites Thailand a real scare before ultimately falling to a 4-2 defeat, and then held hosts Philippines to a 2-2 draw having twice taken the lead.

While they may currently be bottom of the group, victory in their final match on Friday against Singapore, coupled with Philippines’ failure to beat Thailand, would be enough to send the Indonesians through to the semifinals.

And Lilipaly, who was born in Netherlands but qualifies to play for the Garudas through his Indonesian father, insists that is exactly what he and his teammates will be going all out to achieve as they bid to put a smile back on the faces of their fans.

“We are very confident,” the 26-year-old told ESPN FC.

“The dream for me now is to reach the final of the Suzuki Cup and win it for the first time in Indonesia’s history.

“When you see how many supporters we have and how football thrives in the country, it is something that can’t be compared to any other country because so many of them are so crazy.

“We need to win a title for them in order to make them proud and keep them supporting us.”

Keeping Indonesian blood

Lilipaly’s journey to representing Indonesia is an interesting one given he was born in Arnhem and actually represented Netherlands from U-15 to U-18 level.

But he gained Indonesian citizenship in 2011, won his first cap two years later and even had a spell with Persija Jakarta, before returning to his country of birth when he joined SC Telstar following the disarray that engulfed the Indonesia Super League.

“I feel a lot of connection with Indonesia,” Lilipaly added.

“My family back in Holland are still very traditional and my wife is also of Indonesian heritage, so I keep the Indonesian blood in my family.

“I still feel the connection and, especially when I pay for the national team, it feels great to represent the country.”

Indonesia could even have found themselves in a stronger position had they been able to hold out for a draw against the Thais, having overcame a two-goal halftime deficit to make it 2-2.

But instead of doing what others might have done and settle for a point, they continued to push forward in search of the winner and were ultimately caught out by conceding two late goals.

Smiling, as he looked back on last Saturday’s game, Lilipaly said: “That’s the spirit of Indonesia.

“We don’t want to play for one point — if we feel we can win, we want to win.

“Now, we will do everything we can to win against Singapore and stay in the tournament. “If we play well and take our chances, I believe we can do it.” (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)