Indonesian media acknowledges one thing about their national team after being eliminated early by Vietnam's U17 squad.

The Indonesian sports newspaper Bola recently offered candid assessments of the U17 Indonesia squad following their disappointing performance in the regional tournament.

After suffering an early elimination in the championship ASEAN U17 2026 right at home, Indonesia's U17 national team has recently received mixed opinions from domestic media. Recently, Bola published an article stating that the young players from the archipelago nation are not truly outstanding compared to previous generations.

In the article, Bola commented: “The current generation of Indonesia's U17 team lacks many truly standout players like previous batches.”The newspaper compared them to impactful figures such as Fadly Alberto Hengga, Evandra Florasta, or Mathew Baker, who were seen as having clear potential to create breakthroughs in gameplay.

Not stopping there, Bola further emphasized: “The current team leans towards uniformity but lacks individuals who can decide matches in crucial moments.”This is considered a weakness that makes Indonesia's U17 team struggle when facing higher-quality opponents.

However, the archipelago nation's newspaper also provided a positive perspective to encourage the team's morale. Bola wrote: “The young players should not lose heart. They still have time to develop and prove their capabilities.”It also affirmed that recent failures will be necessary lessons in their growth process.

Looking towards the major goal of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia, Bola called on the entire team to continue striving: “Indonesia's U17 team must improve their performance quality if they want to compete at the continental level.”.

To prepare for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026, taking place in May next year in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia's U17 coaching staff immediately resumed preparations. According to the team's head coach, they will add three naturalized players: defender Matt Baker, and goalkeepers Noah Leo Duvert and Mike Rajasa Hoppenbrouwers.

Concluding the article, Bola conveyed a clear message: despite not possessing many standout stars, Indonesia's U17 team can still progress if they maintain a working spirit and desire to improve during the upcoming preparation phase.