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eptian David Maulana’s second half penalty saved Indonesia’s Under-23 men’s soccer team a point during the match opener of the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games when the country faced titleholder and tournament favorite Thailand on Tuesday.

Indonesia, which last won the title in 1991, went into the game confidently.

It had high hopes of starting its journey in the biennial competition with a bright start at the Shah Alam Stadium in Selangor, Malaysia, fielding its best possible lineup, including playmaker Evan Dimas Darmono and Hansamu Yama, who have both played for the senior team.

“Thailand is a strong and favorite team with a long history. They have good forwards and wingers. The result will be our additional motivation ahead of the upcoming game,” said Indonesia coach Luis Milla, who guided his country Spain to the UEFA European Under-21 Championship title in 2011.

Indonesia will face the Philippines on Aug. 17, which coincides with the country’s Independence Day.

“The match against the Philippines will be a lot harder after this tiring game,” said Milla, who took the helm in January this year.

Evan said he was grateful for the result.

“But I’d like to remind my teammates not to be too satisfied because the journey is still long,” he said, adding that the humidity had posed a challenge for his team.

Despite surprisingly managing to dominate possession of the ball in the early minutes of the first half, Thailand took the lead at the 14th minute. Thailand enjoyed the early domination following an error by goalkeeper Kurniawan Kartika Ajie, who failed to collect a cross and saw a goal scored by Chiangrai United FC’s Chaiyawat Buran, who just needed to push the ball into an empty net.

Indonesia then turned more aggressive and peppered Thailand’s defense with dribbles and crosses from its fast-paced wingers — Persib Bandung’s Febri Heryadi and Persipura Jayapura’s Osvaldo Haay. However, their efforts failed to make the chances count because of a lack of support from the second line when entering Thailand’s final third.

Indonesia earned a penalty in the 64th minute when Haay’s fast acceleration was fouled by a Thai defender inside the penalty box. The 20-year-old Septian, who plays for Mitra Kukar in the Go-Jek Traveloka Liga 1, Indonesia’s top flight league, perfectly converted from the spot and sent the keeper the wrong way.

The goal garnered cheers from many Indonesian fans at Shah Alam Stadium, as seen on SCTV, which aired the match.

Despite a number of opportunities, including a powerful strike from Evan at the 89th minute, Indonesia failed to beat its toughest opponent in the region. The score remained unchanged until the referee blew the final whistle.

Indonesia’s U23 last and only victory over the Southeast Asia powerhouse was in 2011, when the Garuda famously beat the War Elephant 3-1 in Jakarta. In the last five meetings, Indonesia has been winless against its toughest opponent, recording one draw and four defeats, including a humiliating 6-0 loss during an encounter in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.

Indonesia, ranked in 175th in the latest FIFA ranking, has been placed in Group B, along with the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, which are respectively ranked at 126th, 131st, 133rd, 173rd and 196th.

In the hope of giving the country’s young talents a top flight experience, the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) controversially modified the league’s regulations, requiring all competing teams to field three of their U22 players at least in the first 45 minutes of the game.