Indonesia's coach remains unfazed, instructs players to limit social media before facing U19 Vietnam

Nova Arianto, the head coach of U19 Indonesia, expects his squad to avoid being overwhelmed by the pressure of being the reigning champions as the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 tournament approaches.

According to the tactician, winning the title is a major desire of fans for U19 Indonesia. However, he does not want that to affect the players' focus.

"As I have said before and also reminded my players, of course the championship is a goal that all of us want," Nova Arianto shared with Bola.com yesterday, May 28.

In the most recent edition, U19 Indonesia claimed the 2024 AFF U19 title at home in Surabaya, East Java. At that time, the team led by coach Indra Sjafri defeated U19 Thailand 1-0 in the final.

According to the 46-year-old coach, U19 Indonesia needs to focus on each match rather than thinking too far ahead about the title. He emphasized that concentration is key for the team to overcome every challenge.

"But again, I don't want my players to only think about the championship. What I want is for them to focus on the process to achieve that goal. So I always remind the players to direct their attention to each match: first Myanmar, then Timor Leste, and then Vietnam.

After that, we will see how far we can go and whether we can reach the final. Of course, our hope is to get to the last match and win the championship."

The coach also acknowledged that U19 Indonesia will face high expectations from fans. In addition to being the defending champions, playing at home further increases the pressure. However, he considers it normal for a national team.

"We all understand that the pressure of expectations does not only exist for the U17, U20, or U23 teams. I think it's completely normal for national teams," the former assistant to coach Shin Tae-yong with the Indonesian national team shared.

In the 2026 AFF U19 Championship, U19 Indonesia is placed in Group A as hosts. Nova Arianto's team will compete against Myanmar, Timor Leste, and Vietnam for a spot in the next round.

Mr. Nova Arianto also wants his players to maintain maximum concentration throughout the tournament. One of the measures he applies is limiting social media usage.

"I hope the players can maintain their focus. I have also reminded them about social media issues.

Once again, social media can become very dangerous for players. That is something I want to control so they can stay focused in this AFF U19 Championship."

According to the schedule, U19 Indonesia will open their campaign against Myanmar at the main stadium of Sumatera Utara (Medan) at 8:00 PM on June 1, 2026. After that, the team will face Timor Leste (June 4) and U19 Vietnam (June 7) successively.