Momentum for the Indonesian Women's Team to Learn Lessons from World Level Teams

The majority of participants in the 2024 U-17 Women's Asian Cup in Bali are world level teams. Indonesia can learn many lessons.

PSSI

U-17 women's national team players train at a training camp held in Bali, April 23 2024.

The 2024 U-17 Women's Asian Cup which will be held in Bali, 6-19 May, will be the stage for matches for Asian teams who are also at world level. Competition will certainly be tight as tickets to the U-17 Women's World Cup are available for the three best teams in the Asian Cup. For Indonesia, this is a momentum to learn as many lessons and experiences as possible for the development of women's football.

The ninth edition of the Women's U-17 Asian Cup has finally been held again after last being held in 2019, or five years ago in Thailand. The competition for young female soccer players organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is actually a biennial event. However, the ninth edition, which was postponed until 2022, has finally been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this edition, eight teams will compete, including Indonesia, who will be hosting for the first time. Being the host automatically qualifies Indonesia for the final round, without needing to participate in the qualifiers.

Also read: High Standards for the Women's National Football Team

Indonesia will compete with the three best teams in the 2019 Asian Cup. These three teams are the defending champion Japan, runner-up North Korea, and third place China. The other four teams went through two qualifying rounds, namely Australia, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.

KFA/PAULO CUNHA

The South Korean U-17 women's national team took part in a friendly tournament with Portugal and Ireland last January in Portugal.

China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand are the four teams that have qualified for the nine editions of the Under-17 Asian Cup so far. The three former champion teams, North Korea, Japan, and South Korea, are aiming for repeated victories.

Japan is the most successful team in the Under-17 Asian Cup, having won four championship titles. The team nicknamed "Nadeshiko" won the title at the inaugural 2005 edition, followed by two consecutive titles in 2011 and 2013, as well as in 2019.

It is not easy to win in Asia, but we want to qualify for the World Cup, win the Asian Cup, and win the hearts of those who watch us.

Two Korean teams have followed Japan in achieving championship titles. North Korea has won the AFC U-17 Cup three times in 2007, 2015, and 2017. The team has consistently reached the finals in every participation in the AFC Cup. Meanwhile, South Korea has tasted the champion trophy once in the 2009 edition.

Also read: Challenges Awaiting the New Coach of the Women's National Football Team

China, Thailand, and Australia also alternately made it to the semifinals. However, the progress of these three teams always stopped at the final four round. China had to settle for third place four times, while Thailand finished third once and fourth twice. Meanwhile, Australia finished fourth twice.

Meaning, six out of eight teams participating in the 2024 U-17 Asian Cup have experience in this competition. These teams are also capable of competing to reach the semifinals, final, and even becoming champions.

Indonesia's competing teams in the U-17 Asia Cup have also reached the global level. North Korea, the world's best team in this age category, won the U-17 World Cup in 2008 and 2016. Only Spain has matched North Korea's two-title achievement.

South Korea also once tasted the championship title of the 2010 U-17 World Cup. The same goes for Japan, which emerged as the champion in the 2014 edition.

Also read: Progress at the Training Camp Grows the Confidence of the U-17 Women's Team

The coach of Japan's U-17 women's team, Shirai Sadayoshi, believes that the competition in the Asia Cup will be competitive and all matches will be difficult. However, they come to Indonesia with a high determination to become champions in order to secure a ticket to the World Cup.

JFA

The Japan U-17 women's national football team held a training camp in Thailand at the end of April in preparation for the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup in Bali on May 6-19, 2024.

"It's not easy to win in Asia, but we want to qualify for the World Cup, win the Asian Cup, and win the hearts of those who watch us," Sadayoshi said on the official website of the Japanese Football Association (JFA).

The presence of world-class teams is a moment for Indonesia to learn and gain as much experience as possible. Moreover, compared to other participating teams, Indonesia had the shortest preparation time with the latest squad formed. Two months ago, while other teams already had a team framework and underwent various trials, Indonesia still needed to conduct selections.

Also read: Encouraging the Popularity of Women's Football, Tickets for the U-17 Women's Asian Cup Are Free

However, from the start there was a bigger goal than the formation of the U-17 national team and participation in the Asian Cup. This is the first step in PSSI's intention to develop women's football in the country. Previously, PSSI appointed a coach from Japan, Satoru Mochizuki, to handle the senior women's team and all age levels.

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

The coach of Indonesia's women's national soccer team, Satoru Mochizuki (left), concluded the U-17 national team selection at Field A of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta on Wednesday evening (28/3/2024).

The Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir, stated that Satoru's appointment is not separated from his good track record in Japan's women's football. Satoru was part of the coaching staff of Japan's national team when they won the 2011 World Cup and finished second in the 2012 London Olympics.

Erick added that Satoru is determined to gradually build women's soccer in Indonesia. The development will not only focus on the national team level, but also the grassroots level. This 59-year-old coach will also help build a coaching system for women's soccer.

The 2024 U-17 Asia Cup will mark Satoru's debut as the coach of the Indonesian women's team. Although PSSI has not set any targets, they want to give Satoru a chance first. However, Satoru can take advantage of the competition to "shop for issues" and see how Indonesia's position compares to other Asian junior national teams.

At the very least, all the lessons and experiences gained by Indonesia in the Asia Cup can be used to develop women's soccer in the country. Spirit of "Garuda Pertiwi"!