I

ndonesia stalled Thailand’s advance into the semifinals of the Suzuki AFF Cup on Tuesday after substitute captain Bambang Pamungkas successfully scored from the penalty spot twice.

The victory also marked Indonesia’s first win over Thailand in 12 years.

Unlike Indonesia’s first two matches against Malaysia and Laos, when the national squad put on a display of dominance to win 5-1 and 6-0 respectively, Tuesday’s match was a closer affair.

Both teams started quickly, with Indonesian strikers Christian Gonzales and Irfan Haarys Bachdim failing to convert on opportunities that sailed above the crossbar.

Despite the 87,000-seater Gelora Bung Karno Stadium almost packed, the Thais looked relaxed.

In early action, Thailand dominated ball possession, managing several shots at goal. Despite their domination, however, the first half ended scoreless.

In the second half, Thailand resumed their pressure on the Indonesian goal, almost breaking through in the 55th when Suree Sukha’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Markus Haris Maulana.

In a shock turn, Sukha scored in the 68th, just ten minutes after Bambang replaced Irfan Bachdim.

But Thailand’s domination ended in a tackle against Gonzales by Suttinun Phukhom in the Thai penalty box in the 79th minute. Japanese referee Sato Ryuji instantly pointed to the spot, with Bambang leveling the score.

In the 86th minute, Ryuji granted a second penalty kick for Indonesia after a shot from Arif Suyono hit the hand of Wongsa. Wongsa was also shown his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card for the incident.

Bambang again successfully converted the penalty, turning the tide squarely against Thailand until the final whistle.

Indonesian head coach Alfred Riedl said his team played a good game.

“However, I feel it would have been a more fair outcome if the game ended in draw,” Rield said at a post-match press conference.

He said the first-half was uneventful. “In the second half, [the Thais] put pressure and scored, and that was the moment for us to do something.”

Riedl said that even with this latest result, there were still no clear tournament favorites. In preparation for the semifinal, Riedl is scheduled to fly to Hanoi, Vietnam, to see the match between Vietnam and Singapore in Group B.

Thailand head coach Bryan Robson blamed poor refereeing for his team’s loss.

“My men played good this evening. It was the referee [who was at fault]. For me, the turning point of the game was when we scored. If we also had a penalty, the end would be different,” he said.

In another group A match at Palembang’s Jakabaring Stadium, Malaysia booked a ticket into the semifinals after humbling Laos 5-1. Amri Yahya and Amirul Hadi each scored twice, and Idlan struck once to lead Malaysia to the semifinals while Laos’ only goal came from Singto.

Indonesia leads group A with nine points from three wins and 13 goals, while Malaysia is second with four points from one win and eight goals. Meanwhile in group B, the Philippines sealed top spot with a win.

The semifinals will be held on Dec. 15-19.

Khairul Saleh contributed to the article from Palembang.