U19 Indonesia aims beyond just the ASEAN title.

Head coach Nova Arianto welcomes the challenges in Group A of the 2026 U19 Southeast Asian Championship, with Indonesia U19 targeting more than merely the championship.

At the 2026 U19 ASEAN Championship, Indonesia's U19 team is placed in Group A alongside Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor Leste.

Indonesia U19 is gearing up to tackle the challenges of the 2026 U19 ASEAN Championship. In this competition, they are in Group A with Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor Leste.

The region's most prestigious youth competition will be held in Medan, North Sumatra, from June 1 to 13. It also serves as a key component of preparation for the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Indonesia U19 head coach Nova Arianto fully understands that the competition in this group will be far from easy. Nevertheless, he positively embraces the presence of opponents who are rated as comparable in quality.

Coach Nova has selected 23 players for the tournament, including 6 who are of Indonesian descent living abroad. Their inclusion is expected to strengthen the team as they aim to defend the results achieved in the 2024 edition in Surabaya.

Nova Arianto considers Group A to be highly competitive. In his view, the presence of Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor Leste will make every match extremely challenging.

"Group A is a very competitive group featuring Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor Leste. I observe that all three teams have prepared their squads very well.

This will be beneficial for us, as we are once again seeking tough international matches to prepare for the qualifiers.

I am delighted that Timor Leste, Myanmar, and Vietnam are our opponents. This will certainly provide a foundation for us to assess and gain experience for the road ahead," added the Semarang-born coach.

As the reigning champions, Indonesia U19 naturally bears considerable pressure and high expectations to retain the title. However, Nova does not want his players to overly focus on the ultimate objective while neglecting the necessary process.

"Yes, as I have said before, I have also reminded the players that winning the title is undoubtedly the desire of all of us.

But again, I do not want the players to concentrate solely on the championship; instead, I want them to focus on the journey that leads there.

Therefore, I always tell the players that we must take it game by game. First Myanmar, then Timor Leste, followed by Vietnam. Only then will we see how far we can advance. And naturally, our hope is to reach the summit of the tournament."