Shocked by Vietnam's elimination, Indonesia makes unexpected move for World Cup ticket

U17 Indonesia has arrived early in Saudi Arabia to prepare for the 2026 AFC U17 Championship, right after being eliminated by U17 Vietnam in the Southeast Asian tournament.

According to Indonesia's Bola website, U17 Indonesia immediately departed for Saudi Arabia on April 25 to prepare for the 2026 AFC U17 Championship, right after their early exit from the Southeast Asian U17 tournament due to U17 Vietnam. The coaching staff of the archipelago nation's team wants the players to have more time to adapt to the climate, time zone, and match conditions before embarking on their journey to secure a spot in the U17 World Cup.

In the recent Southeast Asian U17 tournament, U17 Indonesia could not advance past the group stage after a 0-0 draw against U17 Vietnam, a result that led to their early elimination while Coach Cristiano Roland's team progressed and later won the championship with an unbeaten record. This defeat prompted Indonesian youth football to quickly enter a phase of rebuilding the squad, aiming for the more important continental stage.

Coach Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto quickly finalized the list of 23 players for the tournament in Saudi Arabia. Compared to the squad participating in the Southeast Asian tournament, Indonesia has made several notable changes, particularly the inclusion of three naturalized players: Matthew Baker from Melbourne City, Noha Pohan Simangunsong from NAC Breda, and Mike Rajasa from FC Utrecht. These additions are seen as crucial to enhancing the depth and improving the technical quality of U17 Indonesia.

However, the archipelago's youth team also suffered a significant loss as key striker Mierza Firjatullah cannot participate due to a hamstring injury. He is a highly-rated forward and was considered Indonesia's biggest hope. Coach Kurniawan admitted he cannot risk using this player after MRI results showed Mierza needs at least 4 to 6 weeks for full recovery.

After cutting six players, Indonesia only had 21 players and the coaching staff depart for Saudi Arabia in the first batch, while Noha Pohan and Mike Rajasa will join later. In the AFC U17 Championship finals, Indonesia is in Group B alongside strong opponents: Japan, China, and Qatar. Before their opening match against China on May 5, they will have a friendly match with host Saudi Arabia to assess the team.

Not only Indonesia, other Southeast Asian representatives like Thailand and Australia are also accelerating preparations for the tournament. However, Indonesia's immediate early arrival in West Asia shows great determination after their stumble against U17 Vietnam. With the goal of securing a ticket to the U17 World Cup, the archipelago's youth team understands they have little room for error, and their journey in Saudi Arabia will be an opportunity to prove that the defeat to U17 Vietnam was only a temporary setback.

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