Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia under-17 national soccer team has secured a place in the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup after a decisive 4-1 win against Yemen in their second Group C match at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup on Monday.
The victory against Yemen, held at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, marks Indonesia’s second consecutive win in the group stage, giving them six points and an assured spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals. Additionally, it guarantees a slot for the team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, set to take place in Qatar from November 3 to 27, 2025.
With one group-stage match remaining, Indonesia stands at the top of Group C, while South Korea and Yemen trail with three points each and will face off on April 10 for the group’s final quarterfinal spot. Afghanistan, having lost both of its matches, is already eliminated from the tournament.
Indonesia’s head coach, Nova Arianto, suggested he may rotate players in their final group-stage match, using the opportunity to give playing time to squad members who haven’t featured yet. “We’ll try to give chances to players who haven’t played. We’ll look at the situation and decide on the right tactics,” Nova said.
Path to the World Stage
The 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup tournament was also the Asian qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. FIFA has expanded the tournament to include 48 teams, with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) allocated eight slots. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals and automatically qualify for the World Cup.
Indonesia’s victory over Yemen sealed their spot in the last eight, making them the third team, alongside Uzbekistan and host nation Saudi Arabia from Group A to officially qualify for Qatar.
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This will mark Indonesia’s second consecutive appearance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, following their debut as hosts in 2023. A back-to-back qualification is a historic milestone for the Garuda Muda (Young Garuda), signaling the country’s growing presence in international youth football.
As the team continues its campaign in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, expectations are rising for how far Indonesia can go on both the continental and global stages at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
(Raidi/Agung)
