Indonesia U-17 Loses Again to China, Improved Performance Not Enough to Win

The Indonesia U-17 team suffered another defeat. In their second friendly match against China U-17, Garuda Muda fell 2-3 at the Indomilk Arena Stadium, Tangerang Regency, on Wednesday evening, 11 February 2026. This result shows improved performance but still leaves significant homework.

This was the second meeting between Indonesia and China within the past week.

In the previous match on Sunday, 8 February, Indonesia suffered a heavy 0-7 defeat.

This time, the team coached by Nova Arianto appeared more competitive, but still failed to contain China's effectiveness in crucial moments.

China took the lead first in the 9th minute through Zhao Songyuan. Indonesia equalized in the 22nd minute.

A Free kick by Chico Jericho Yarangga hit a Chinese defender and deflected towards the right side of the goal, deceiving Goalkeeper Jiang Chengen. 

That goal changed the momentum. Indonesia started to press more boldly and emerged from the early pressure.

However, nearing the end of the first half, China once again showed their sharpness. In the 36th minute, He Sifan put China back in the lead. The 2-1 scoreline held until halftime.

Entering the second half, Indonesia responded quickly in the 48th minute. Miraj Rizki Sulaeman successfully converted a penalty into the bottom left corner of the Chinese goal after a foul in the box. The score was level again at 2-2.

After the scores were tied, Indonesia tried to utilize quick long passes to exploit space behind the Chinese defense. However, finishing became a problem.

As the match seemed headed for a Draw, China scored the decisive winning goal in the final phase of the game. 

Zhang Bolin's shot hit the post, then rebounded off Goalkeeper Noah Leo's body before going into the Indonesian net. The final score of 3-2 secured China's second win over Indonesia in the two friendlies.

This defeat is certainly still painful, but compared to the previous 0-7 result, the Indonesia U-17 team showed improvement in fighting spirit and game organization.