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Nova Arianto feels he has achieved success as a coach following Mathew Baker’s selection for the Indonesia senior national football team.

The call-up of Mathew Baker to the senior Indonesia national team is seen as a benchmark of success for Nova Arianto as a coach.

Baker first became a key player under Nova Arianto when he managed the Indonesia U-16 national team, making his debut at the 2024 ASEAN U-16 Championship.

His impressive performances made Baker one of Nova’s most trusted players, continuing through the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup and the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Now, even though Nova’s Indonesia U-19 team is preparing for the 2026 ASEAN U-19 Championship, they have to let Baker go.

Baker has been called up by John Herdman to join the senior national team squad for the June FIFA Matchday fixtures against Oman and Mozambique.

Although it remains uncertain whether Baker will get playing time, his inclusion in the senior squad serves as a clear measure of Nova’s coaching success.

“Firstly, I’m very happy because my biggest goal as a youth national team coach is to see players from the U-17 and U-20 teams make it into the senior team,” said Nova Arianto.

“I want to be considered successful when players from the U-17 and U-20 squads can join the senior national team, because that’s my ultimate goal — that’s why we aimed for the FIFA U-17 World Cup qualification.”

Achievements on the international stage are often used as a yardstick of a coach’s success, especially in Indonesia.

However, Nova considers these accomplishments as part of a broader process, primarily focused on developing players to become better in the future.

He also hopes that not only Baker but other players under his guidance will attract the attention of the senior national team coaching staff.

“Qualifying for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup is just part of the process to help players become more prepared for their future careers,” Nova added.

“It’s an extraordinary achievement for Baker at his age to get the opportunity to play at the senior level, and it will surely benefit his development going forward.”

“I hope this can open the door for other young players to earn similar opportunities with the senior team,” he concluded.

Indonesia’s FIFA Matchday fixtures will start against Oman on Friday (5 June 2026), followed by a match against Mozambique on Tuesday (9 June 2026).

Both games will take place at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), where Indonesian fans hope the Garuda squad will secure victories.

Meanwhile, the 2026 ASEAN U-19 Championship kicks off today, Monday (1 June 2026), with two Group A matches scheduled.

Vietnam secured a 3-0 victory over Timor Leste and currently leads Group A with three points.

The Indonesia U-19 national team will play later at 20:00 WIB against Myanmar at the North Sumatra Stadium.