Indonesia U19 coach warns his players about Vietnam U19, declares they must win to reach the semifinals

Nova Arianto, the head coach, wants his Indonesia U19 side to beat Vietnam U19 in order to claim first place in Group A at the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship.

A 3-0 victory over Timor Leste U19 in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship has kept Indonesia U19's hopes of reaching the semifinals alive. Coach Nova Arianto is determined to have his team control their own destiny. Indonesia U19 must defeat Vietnam U19 in their final group match on June 7 to top the group and secure a spot in the next round.

Coach Nova Arianto said he experimented with the lineup in the match against Timor Leste U19. "Today, I wanted to give playing time to all the players who didn't feature in the previous game. I'm pleased that everyone gave their full effort. I respect Timor Leste's disciplined play; clearly this match was not easy for us. Let's forget tonight's win and fully focus on the next game," Nova stated after the match.

Coach Nova Arianto urges his players not to falter in the final match, especially mentally.

"Vietnam U19 has a very strong fighting spirit. I demand that my players not be afraid when facing Vietnam. Their squad quality is superior to Timor Leste and Myanmar. I require maximum focus and discipline from my players so that we can secure the victory," Nova emphasized.

Coach Nova does not want to put his team in a passive situation where they have to rely on a best runner-up spot. Therefore, he wants Indonesia U19 to win against Vietnam U19.

"From the start, I considered Group A to be highly competitive. Vietnam U19 is certainly a very strong team, both in individual quality and tactical setup. We want to advance on our own merit, not by waiting for results from other groups. The whole team will prepare as thoroughly as possible for the match against Vietnam U19, as it's a do-or-die game where we want to decide our own path," the Indonesia U19 coach affirmed.

In the match against Timor Leste U19, Coach Nova rotated the starting lineup, keeping only four players from the previous match. Nevertheless, the new faces given opportunities turned in very convincing performances.

"When I arrived here, my goal was to assess the capabilities of the entire squad. This ASEAN U19 tournament is a platform for the coaching staff to evaluate the players' potential. I want to see if all the names I brought can become optimal personnel options for the upcoming Asian Cup qualifiers," Coach Nova concluded.