Defending champions Indonesia have been forced to withdraw from the upcoming AFF U-23 Championship -- to be held in Cambodia from Feb. 14 to 26 -- after being hit with a series of COVID-19 cases.
The PSSI, Indonesian football's governing body, confirmed the decision not to participate after seven players and one team official tested positive for coronavirus, with another four members of the squad at risk after being in close contact from sharing rooms.
In addition, three other players -- Gunansar Mandowen, Ramai Rumakiek and Muhammad Iqbal -- were already injury doubts heading into the tournament.
Indonesia's withdrawal means that Group B will now be contested by Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos, although this will not affect the format of the competition as Group C already consists of only three teams.
Nonetheless, this will come as a huge blow for Indonesian football given that expectations were high considering their status as reigning champions, along with the senior side's recent run to the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 final with a squad boasting numerous players eligible for the U-23 tournament.
With senior coach Shin Tae-yong, who led South Korea at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also in charge of the U-23s, Indonesia would have been one of the favourites to go all the way -- especially with the likes of Thailand and Vietnam naming experimental squads made up players from younger age categories.
The previous AFF U-23 Championship, also held in Cambodia in 2019, saw Indonesia beat Thailand 2-1 in the final to claim their first title at the tournament, which was reintroduced that year following a 14-year absence.