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Head coach of the Indonesia U-19 National Team, Nova Arianto, was seen leading a training session at Yogyakarta Independent School, Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday (19 May 2026).

BOLASPORT.COM - Indonesia U-19 head coach, Nova Arianto, continues to refine his squad’s preparations ahead of the upcoming 2026 ASEAN U-19 Championship.

For Nova, readiness is not only about tactics and physical conditioning, but also about the mental strength of the young Garuda players.

The Indonesia U-19 team has been undergoing a two-week training camp in Yogyakarta before heading to Medan, the host city of the tournament.

There, Nova and his coaching staff are working to ensure that the players are in peak condition for the opening match.

According to Nova, the first match always presents a unique challenge for any team.

Therefore, the main focus right now is on the psychological and mental aspects of the players.

The Indonesia U-19 National Team will compete in the 2026 ASEAN U-19 Championship held in Medan, North Sumatra.

Indonesia U-19 has been drawn into Group A alongside Vietnam, Timor Leste, and Myanmar.

The competition will take place from 1 to 14 June 2026, with Indonesia entering as the defending champions.

“Our focus in Medan is not only on technical matters but also on maintaining the players’ psychological and mental condition,” Nova stated.

“We all know that the first match is never easy for any team,” he added.

The coach, who successfully guided Indonesia to the 2025 U-17 World Cup, wants his players to handle the pressure well and play with freedom in their opening game.

For him, a strong mentality is a vital foundation for bringing out the best performance on the pitch.

Indonesia will begin its campaign against Myanmar.

After that, Garuda Muda is scheduled to face Timor Leste and Vietnam in the group stage.

Although many hope Indonesia can lift the championship trophy again, Nova prefers to stay focused on the ongoing development process.

Since taking charge of the youth setup, he has consistently emphasized that the main objective for this team is to qualify for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, which serves as the gateway to the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Therefore, the AFF U-19 tournament is seen as an important platform to measure the team’s progress before entering the tougher AFC qualifying stage in September.

“Our primary goal is to qualify for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup,” said Nova.

“The AFF tournament serves as a great opportunity to gauge our team’s readiness ahead of the qualifiers.”

Nonetheless, the 46-year-old coach admitted that the Indonesia U-19 squad still aims to achieve the best possible results in Medan.

However, he reminded his players not to get caught up in thinking about the final outcome and instead focus on taking each match one step at a time.

“Of course, we want to be the best,” he said. “But I always tell the players not to forget the process they must go through.”

“We will first focus on facing Myanmar,” Nova continued. “After that, we’ll think about Timor Leste, then Vietnam.”

“Once the tournament is over, we will evaluate our position and use it as a reference for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers,” he concluded.