Indonesia rotates squad, determined to compete for group lead with U19 Vietnam

Nova Arianto, the head coach, confirmed that significant lineup rotations will occur for the clash against U19 Timor Leste in the second round of Group A at the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship.

This manager aims to give every player a chance on the field in order to evaluate and identify the most suitable individuals for the starting eleven.

U19 Indonesia had a smooth start in Group A by defeating U19 Myanmar 3-0 at the main stadium in North Sumatra (Deli Serdang) on the evening of June 1. The home team's goals were scored by Arkhan Kaka in the 38th minute and Dimas Adi with a brace in the 79th and 87th minutes.

This victory keeps U19 Indonesia's hopes of reaching the semifinals alive. The archipelago side currently sits second in Group A with 3 points, level on points and goal difference with group leaders U19 Vietnam. Meanwhile, U19 Myanmar is third with no points.

Despite a convincing win, coach Nova Arianto is not fully satisfied with his players' performance. The former Persib Bandung defender believes that some players failed to properly execute tactical requirements.

He shared: "Looking at the entire match, I was a bit disappointed with what happened today. Regarding the playing style, especially the work ethic of the players, I noticed that when the team had possession, some players refused to move.

The acceleration options were also not fully utilized. That is what makes me dissatisfied.

Nevertheless, I still thank the players for fighting very hard in the first match. This will be a lesson for us to continue improving in the future."

In the next round on June 4, U19 Indonesia will face U19 Timor Leste. Nova Arianto confirmed that the team will make several personnel adjustments.

"We plan to rotate the squad against Timor Leste. Fortunately, the team has many options, and I want to test all players.

I want to evaluate the faces that can accompany the team in the following qualifying rounds. Therefore, there is a high likelihood of quite a few changes in the lineup for the match against Timor Leste."

If they secure another 3 points against Timor Leste, U19 Indonesia will be very close to a semifinal berth and have a strong chance to compete for the top spot in Group A with U19 Vietnam.

The 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship is held in Medan and Deli Serdang, Indonesia from June 1 to 13. 11 teams are divided into three groups, playing a round-robin format to select the winner of each group and the best runner-up to advance to the semifinals.

Group A includes Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor Leste. Group B consists of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Group C comprises Australia, Cambodia, and the Philippines.