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After months of sputtering form and stop-start preparations, the Indonesian Under-23 team is finally on its way to Laos for the Southeast Asian Games.

Indonesia’s youngsters departed for Vientiane on Monday with the task of winning the country’s first SEA Games football gold medal since the 1991 Games in Manila.

To that end, the team received a boost with the addition of prolific Persipura Jayapura striker Boaz Solossa.

“Though I couldn’t join the training camp, as I’ve said over and over again, I’m committed to the team. I’m ready to play in the SEA Games,” Boaz, 23, said on Sunday. “I had to share my time among my club and the senior national team, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to play with [the Under-23 team].”

Boaz shared the title of top scorer in the Indonesian Super League last season with Persib Bandung’s Cristian Gonzales as both men scored 28 goals. Boaz got the last laugh, though, as Persipura rolled to the league championship and second place in the Copa Indonesia.

Unsurprisingly for a team that has struggled to find the back of the net, the Papuan received a warm welcome.

“[Boaz] is one of the top strikers with lots of international experience. His presence will boost our confidence and, of course, his skills will make the opponents more worried about us,” team captain Tony Sucipto said.

Indonesia’s U-23s lost all five of their friendlies in the build-up to the SEA Games, scoring just twice and conceding 13 goals. It lost 5-0 to Iran’s senior team and 2-1 to its U-23 side in Tehran, followed by two defeats against Malaysia (1-0, 2-1) and one against Singapore (2-0).

Those results left coach Alberto Bica concerned about the team’s chances in Laos, and he said a more “realistic” target is the semifinals.

Bica and assistant Gabriel Anon hope to quickly integrate Boaz with the rest of the team.

“We know exactly his quality as he’s shown it with Persipura and the senior national team. We think that he will find no trouble in adapting to our playing style,” Anon said.

However, Boaz joined the team after aggravating his injured left hamstring. He initially hurt it while playing for Persipura before the senior team’s two Asian Cup qualifiers against Kuwait, and he reinjured it during the Black Pearls’ match at Persik Kediri last week.

“It’s just a minor injury that needs a few days to heal,” Anon said.

Indonesia was drawn with host Laos, Burma and Singapore for the SEA Games. It begins Group B play against Singapore on Saturday.

“We played Singapore in a friendly, so I know a bit about the team. But I think what matters is our own game. We’ve been training hard and now is the time to show what we capable of,” Bica said.

Indonesia’s last SEA Games football medal of any kind, a bronze, came in 1999, the last year teams used their senior squads instead of the Under-23s.

SEA Games squad:

Goalkeepers: Frenky Irawan, Muhammad Ridwan

Defenders: Rendy, Elvis Nelson, Rahmat Latif, Djayusman Triasdi, Yudi Khoerudin, Ruben Karel, Stevie Bonsapia

Midfielders: Mahadirga Lasut, Nasution Karubaba, Egi Melgiansyah, Sultan Samma, Muhamma Fauzan Djamal, Lucky Wahyu, Johan Juansyah, Tony Sucipto

Strikers: Boaz Solossa, Andika Yudistira, Yongky Aribowo, Dendi Santoso, Engel Berth.