The Indonesia U-19 national football team is set to play its opening match in the 2026 AFF U-19 Championship.
Indonesia U-19 will face Myanmar at the North Sumatra Main Stadium in Deli Serdang on Monday (1 June 2026) at 20:00 WIB.
Following the clash with Myanmar, Indonesia U-19 will also take on Timor Leste and Vietnam later in June.
Head coach Nova Arianto emphasised that his team will not underestimate their opponents.
“We still regard Myanmar as a very good team because they have also held a training camp in Thailand,” said Nova Arianto during a press conference via an audio recording received by BolaSport.com on Sunday (31 May 2026).
Speaking about his targets, Nova stated that the main goal is to win every match.
“Yes, once again, my target from the very beginning has always been to win every game,” Nova explained.
“Becoming champions is our ultimate goal, but I want the players to stay focused in every match and aim for victory each time,” he concluded.
Nova Arianto has called up a mix of top players competing in the Super League and several diaspora talents.
The squad features strong defensive options such as Putu Panji, Mathew Baker, Timothy Baker, Amar Brkic, and Eizar Jacob.
The combination of local and diaspora players has given the Garuda Muda defence a solid and balanced look.
However, a day before the match, Nova Arianto was still waiting for the arrival of Mathew Baker.
Currently, Mathew Baker is also part of Indonesia’s senior national team under head coach John Herdman.
His name appears on the list of 23 players who will also feature in the FIFA Matchday fixtures against Oman and Mozambique.
This means that Baker will be playing for both the senior and junior squads.
This marks Mathew Baker’s first call-up to the senior national team.
Commenting on the situation, Nova Arianto said that Baker is an experienced player capable of managing himself well.
“In terms of chemistry or tactics, I don’t think it will be a big issue because nearly 60 percent of the current U-19 players are graduates of the U-17 World Cup squad who have often played alongside Baker,” Nova Arianto told Kompas.com.
Mathew Baker’s presence is seen as a crucial asset to the Garuda Muda squad.
He is known as a composed young defender with excellent game-reading ability and strong passing distribution.
Nova Arianto hopes Baker remains in peak condition after completing his duties with the senior Indonesia national team. (TribunWow.com/ Tiffany Marantika)
