Maarten Paes Credits Defensive Resilience for Indonesia’s Clean Sheets at FIFA ASEAN Cup
Timnas Indonesia goalkeeper Maarten Paes has credited a formidable defensive effort for his back-to-back clean sheets at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. Playing every minute across Indonesia’s opening fixtures—a 2-0 victory over Singapore and a 0-0 draw against Malaysia—Paes kept the opposition scoreless as the Garuda squad established an early foothold in Group A.
Defensive Workload Against Malaysia and Singapore
Paes faced vastly different workloads across the two fixtures hosted at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. Against Singapore on September 25, 2026, the Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper enjoyed a relatively quiet evening as The Lions managed only a single shot on target, which Paes easily collected.
The defensive examination intensified dramatically during the scoreless draw against Malaysia. According to statistics from Lapangbola, the Harimau Melayu launched 17 total shots toward the Indonesian goal, requiring Paes to make seven crucial saves to preserve the stalemate.
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Elkan Baggott and Justin Hubner’s Heroics
Following the intense encounter with Malaysia, Paes singled out the contributions of his backline, highlighting the physical and mental resilience required to weather the late-game pressure. The goalkeeper pointed directly to the defensive work rate of center-back Elkan Baggott, who is currently on loan at Millwall.
“Mendapatkan clean sheet itu sungguh penting,” Paes said, noting that the team has secured five clean sheets in their last six outings. “Dalam enam laga terakhir, lima dengan clean sheet. Ini menunjukkan semua tentang tim. Saya rasa Elkan mungkin memblokir delapan bola dan melakukan lima kali clearance (sapuan bola) yang sungguh luar biasa, terutama di menit-menit akhir.”
The heaviest test arrived in stoppage time when Malaysia mounted a chaotic goalmouth scramble following a corner kick. Defender Justin Hubner reacted instantly to clear a goal-bound effort off the line before a follow-up shot sailed over the crossbar.
“Apa yang saya katakan tentang Justin Hubner di menit terakhir sungguh luar biasa,” Paes added regarding the late clearance. “Saya pikir jika Anda melihat cara kami merayakannya bersama, itu menunjukkan banyak hal tentang persaudaraan yang dimaksud pelatih.”
Standings and Tournament Context
The two opening fixtures leave Indonesia with four points from their first two matches in Group A of Division 1. The campaign began strongly against Singapore, where goals from Ragnar Oratmangoen in the 13th minute—following an assist by debutant Luke Vickery—and a 73rd-minute penalty by Ole Romeny secured the initial three points.
With Malaysia currently leading the group on goal difference despite level points, the defensive organization marshaled by Paes, Baggott, and Hubner provides a stable foundation as the Garuda squad continues its quest for the ASEAN Cup title.
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