JAKARTA (15 July 2025) – Teenager Jens Raven netted six goals as hosts Indonesia beat Brunei Darussalam 8-0, and Otu Bisong Banatao got both of the Philippines goals in a 2-0 win over Malaysia on the opening day of the ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup™ 2025 on Tuesday.
Raven made a big impression on his first appearance in an U-23 international match as he netted five goals in the first half in a dominant performance for the hosts at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
The 19-year-old turned in Muhammad Rayhan Hannan’s cross for the opening goal after less than two minutes and he then slotted in his second in the ninth minute, before Arkhan Fikri sent a powerful drive past Brunei goalkeeper Hisyam Norihwan to make it 3-0 to Indonesia by the 20th minute mark.
Raven completed his hat-trick in the 31st minute, slotted in his fourth shortly afterwards and then despatched a penalty for Indonesia’s seventh four minutes before half-time, after Hannan had also got on the scoresheet with a powerful right-footed effort from long range.
Indonesia made four changes at half-time, and while there was no let up on their dominance in the second half, they could only add one more goal in the 62nd minute as Raven dinked an effort past Norihwan with the ball crossing the line before the Brunei defence could get it clear.
The big win put Indonesia on top of Group A on goal difference, ahead of the Philippines, who had stunned Malaysia in an earlier game.
Malaysia dominated possession in the match but they were caught twice on the counter-attack in the first half with Otu Bisong turning in a cross by Javier Mariona in the ninth minute and guiding the ball home from 15 metres five minutes before half-time after an excellent run by substitute Uriel Dalapo.
The Malaysians had numerous chances to get a goal back in the second half but resolute defending by the Philippines and a strong performance by goalkeeper Nico Guimaraes sealed a memorable victory for Garrath McPherson’s side.
The Mandiri Players of the Match for today’s games are:
Indonesia v Brunei: Jens Raven (#21), Indonesia
Malaysia v Philippines: Otu Bisong Banatao (#7), Philippines
Malaysia will look to get the campaign back on track when they take on Brunei at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium at 5.00pm local time on Friday, while group front-runners Indonesia and the Philippines will meet at the same venue at 8.00pm that evening.
Matches in the other two groups in the Mandiri Cup™ 2025 will get under way on Wednesday. Cambodia will face Laos in the Group B opener at 5.00pm and Myanmar will take on Timor-Leste in Group C at 8.00pm. Both matches will be played at Patriot Stadium in Bekasi.
The winners of each of the three groups plus the second-placed team with the best record at the end of the group stage will progress to the semi-finals on 25 July. The final will be played at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on 29 July.
For more information about the ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup™ 2025 and other ASEAN United FC events, visit https://aseanutdfc.com/ and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
