Holiday Ayo - 

The Indonesia U-17 National Team has etched a new chapter in the nation's football history. The Garuda Muda squad officially secured a place in the final round of the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar after a convincing 4-1 victory over Yemen in the Group C stage of the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup. The match took place at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Monday (April 7, 2025).

This marks the team’s second consecutive win under the leadership of coach Nova Arianto in the prestigious Asian tournament. The victory not only secured Indonesia’s spot in the quarterfinals, but also automatically guaranteed their qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is set to take place from November 3 to 27 in Qatar.

The remarkable success of the U-17 squad has drawn praise from senior players of the Indonesian national team. National team defender Rizky Ridho, who was in Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrimage with his family, witnessed the historic match firsthand.

He could not hold back his emotions when Evandra Florasta successfully converted a penalty kick. “Yessss!!! 🇮🇩❤️,” he wrote in a social media post.

“Congratulations, Coach,” said Rizky Ridho while posing for a photo with head coach Nova Arianto. He also offered his congratulations to team captain Putu Panji, expressing his full support for their hard-fought campaign.

The support from senior players served as additional motivation for the young Garuda squad to continue giving their best and bring pride to Indonesia on the global football stage.