Indonesia coach calls Afghanistan clash key to U-17 Asian Cup bid
Indonesia and Afghanistan have six points each in Group A, where only the winners will qualify for the 2027 finals in Uzbekistan.
Indonesia U-17 coach David Nascimento has identified the qualifier against Afghanistan on 17 November as a key test of his team's bid to reach the 2027 U-17 Asian Cup. The sides will meet at Thuwunna Stadium in Myanmar in Indonesia's third qualifying match.
Afghanistan lead Group A on goal difference, with Indonesia second. Both have collected six points from two victories, but only the top team in the five-team group will advance to the finals in Uzbekistan.
Indonesia opened by beating the Philippines 3-0 before defeating Cambodia 2-0. Afghanistan's wins came against Myanmar, 4-1, and Cambodia, 3-0.
Nascimento said the meeting would give his players an opportunity to demonstrate their determination to qualify. He acknowledged Afghanistan's quality and said their rest day on 14 November had given them two additional days to recover physically.
Despite that advantage, Nascimento said Indonesia needed to display character and ambition. A victory would give Indonesia a chance to move into first place, with a final group match against Myanmar still to follow.
