Gerald Vanenburg reveals reason for choosing Muhammad Ardiansyah as main goalkeeper

According to Bolasport.com, Gerald Vanenburg made a surprising decision by appointing Muhammad Ardiansyah as the main goalkeeper for Indonesia U-23 national team in the 2025 ASEAN Cup U-23.

Ahead of tonight’s third Group A match against Malaysia, the 22-year-old goalkeeper has been the first choice in the previous two matches — despite having no experience at national team level.

This decision is quite surprising considering Ardiansyah was only third choice at PSM Makassar last season, with 11 appearances in Liga 1. The current squad includes experienced goalkeepers like Cahya Supriadi and Daffa Fasya who were previously trusted by Shin Tae-yong.

Interestingly, Ardiansyah who never made it to U-20 or senior national team radar in last year’s ASEAN Cup, now has Vanenburg’s full trust to guard the Young Garuda’s goal.