AFF prohibits Indonesia from registering 12-year-old players for the Southeast Asian tournament

The Indonesia U16 women's head coach revealed that they are unable to register 12-year-old players for the U16 Southeast Asian Championship because AFF does not allow it.

The 2025 AFF U16 Women's Championship will take place in Indonesia from August 20 to 29. The host nation Indonesia is in Group A with Malaysia and Timor Leste. Group B features Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia, while Group C includes Thailand, Singapore, and Australia.

During the pre-tournament press conference, Indonesia U16 women's head coach Timo Scheunemann made headlines by revealing his intention to register some 12-year-old players for the 2025 AFF U16 Women's Championship. However, his plan was unsuccessful as it was not approved by the AFF.

CNN specifically quoted coach Timo Scheunemann as saying: “We really wanted to include some 12-year-old players in the squad, but this doesn’t comply with AFF’s rules, so we couldn’t do it. Women’s football is truly progressing, and the under-12 players are very talented, but they still need more time to develop.”

The Indonesia U16 women's squad includes several players who have already been called up to the U20 level, but there are also many without any international experience. Addressing this, coach Timo Scheunemann candidly shared:

“We have brought in some players from the U20 team who have already played and gained experience there. However, most of the squad is still quite inexperienced; these are the future players of Indonesia.

Even those who have just moved down from the U20 team still need time, as they are only 15 or 16 years old and are in the final stages of their training. This process will help them develop properly so our national team can become even stronger.”

Indonesia U16 women will face Timor Leste at Manahan Stadium in Surakarta on Wednesday evening (August 20). Their next match against Malaysia will also be held at the same venue on Sunday (August 24).