Jakarta -โฃ Nova Arianto has been โคtasked โฃwithโ leading the indonesian U-20 National โคteam in a quest to qualify for the U-20โฃ World Cup, beginning with preparations for the 2027 U-20 Asian Cup. Appointed by PSSI as the U-20 National Teamโฃ Coachโ on Thursday,November 20,2025,Ariantoโ faces a series ofโข immediate challenges including โฃthe 2026 AFF U-19 Cup and qualifying forโ the โฃU-20โ Asian Cup,typicallyโ heldโ around September.
The appointment marks a pivotal moment for Indonesian youth โfootball,โ as โqualification for theโข U-20 World โคCup requires reaching theโ semifinals of the U-20 Asian Cup – a feat Indonesia has not achieved through sportingโ meritโข since โhosting โคthe 1979 FIFA World Youth โChampionship, where they โคqualified as replacements for other nations. PSSI โคTechnical Director alexander Zwiers has set aโค target โofโค reaching the quarter-finals of theโค U-20 Asian Cup, but Arianto aims โhigher, hoping to guide his team to a โขtop-eight finish.
“The hope isโค that at the next level, hopefully he (Nova) can take โhis children to the U-20 Asianโค Cupโ and โbecome the top 8 best team,” Zwiers stated.Arianto acknowledges โthe challenge, stating, “Certainly the target has been given by the Director of Technology and PSSI, โคhow do we hope to qualify for the Asian Cup (U-20) and then the Worldโ Cup (U-20). It’s not an easy job,I’mโ still vrey new and don’t know someโ of the players.”
Arianto has six โขmonths to prepare the team, drawing inspiration from the recent โsuccess of the U-17 National Team.โฃ Indonesia’s closest previous attempt atโ World Cup qualification came at the 2018โข U-19 Asian โCup, where they lost 0-2 to Japan in the quarter-finals while serving asโ hosts.
(mro/raw)
