Nova Arianto Evaluates the Victory Over Myanmar, Indonesia U-19 Remains Cautious of Timor Leste

Indonesia U-19 opened their campaign at the AFF U-19 Cup (ASEAN Boys Championship 2026) on a positive note with a 3-0 victory over Myanmar. However, this win did not leave head coach Nova Arianto feeling satisfied.

The opening three points claimed by Garuda Muda at North Sumatra Main Stadium, Deli Serdang on Monday evening will be used as evaluation material for the coaching team to prepare for their next fixture against Timor Leste.

Nova confirmed there are still multiple aspects that require improvement for the team to develop consistently throughout the tournament.

"There will absolutely be evaluations, all to ensure the boys can perform far better for the upcoming match," he stated shortly after full time.

In this Group A opening fixture, Indonesia played with clinical efficiency, scoring three goals: Arkhan Kaka found the net in the 39th minute, followed by a brace from Dimas Wicaksono in the 77th and 86th minutes respectively.

Despite keeping a clean sheet and securing a three-goal winning margin, Nova insisted there remains significant work to address. One key priority is building the players' self-confidence when competing in official matches.

According to the coach, his squad's on-pitch performance has not yet fully matched the quality they regularly demonstrate during training sessions.

"Their confidence is not operating at maximum level. It is nothing like How they carry themselves in training. That is one of the primary points we have logged for review," he explained.

This evaluation is being prioritised because mentality and confidence are regularly the deciding difference in competitive matches. With a congested group stage schedule, Nova hopes his players will be able to express themselves freely and have the courage to make critical game decisions on the pitch.

Ahead of the match against Timor Leste on Thursday 4 June, Nova has also instructed his squad to learn from the Myanmar fixture, particularly the underwhelming opening phase of the game that did not go according to plan.

Even though Timor Leste suffered a 0-3 defeat to Vietnam in their own opening match, Nova emphasised his side must not underestimate their opponents. He is certain Timor Leste will arrive with strong motivation to bounce back from their opening loss.

"We will remain fully alert to Timor Leste, as they have no intention of suffering a second straight defeat. Their drive to recover is exactly what we must prepare for," he concluded.