Indonesia's captain Idzes out of FIFA ASEAN Cup with injury

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s captain and center-back Jay Idzes confirmed Friday that he will miss the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup in September and October as he continues to recover from a thigh injury.

“It hurts me to be absent for a long time, especially because I was really looking forward to being back with TIMNAS [the national team] after already having to miss the last international break due to injury,” Idzes wrote on Instagram.

The 26-year-old defender sustained a left-thigh injury while playing for Sassuolo during a 3-2 Serie A victory over Juventus on Monday, Sept. 14.

After playing 80 minutes, he was substituted for Duje Ćaleta-Car.

Idzes is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

"Representing Indonesia means a lot to me," he said, emphasizing his determination to "come back strong and ready" for the national team.

The defender last featured for Indonesia in late March 2026, subsequently missing FIFA-sanctioned friendlies against Oman and Mozambique in mid-June.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 marks the first regional national team tournament officially organized by world football’s governing body.

Regional sides previously competed in the ASEAN Championship (formerly known as the AFF Cup and Tiger Cup) since 1996.

Indonesia and Hong Kong are set to co-host the 11-team tournament from Sept. 24 to Oct. 5.

All Division 1 matches will be held at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium and Bandung’s Si Jalak Harupat Stadium.

Drawn in Division 1 (Group A), Indonesia will face Singapore, Malaysia, and Bangladesh sequentially in Jakarta. Meanwhile, Group B matches featuring Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and the Philippines will take place in Bandung.

Hong Kong will host Division 2 matches, featuring Laos and Brunei Darussalam in Group A, alongside Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste in Group B.

Translator: M. Siahaan, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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