99 Tekno – The Indonesia U-20 national team has been drawn into Group H for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, following the official announcement by the AFC at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur this Thursday, as reported by ANTARA.
The “Garuda Muda” squad faces a daunting challenge in Group H. They are set to compete against defending champions Australia, regional rivals Malaysia, and the group’s host nation, Laos.
The qualifiers are scheduled to run from August 25 to September 6, 2026, operating under a revamped format recently introduced by the AFC. In this new structure, 32 teams are divided into eight groups. Only the eight group winners and the seven best runners-up from Groups A through H will secure their spots in the final tournament.
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Separately, Groups I through K have been designated as part of a “Development Phase.” Teams that finish first or second in these specific groups are ineligible to qualify for the 2027 final tournament and will instead participate in future qualifying cycles.
Preparation for the U-20 team is currently intensifying under the guidance of head coach Nova Arianto. Having previously led the Indonesia U-17 team to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, Arianto is now tasked with replicating that success with the U-20 squad.
As part of their ongoing preparations, the team will test their mettle at the 2026 ASEAN U-19 Boys’ Championship, held in Medan, North Sumatra, from June 1 to June 13. As both the tournament host and the defending champion, Indonesia has been placed in Group A alongside Vietnam, Timor Leste, and Myanmar.
The Garuda Muda are set to kick off their campaign against Myanmar on Monday (June 1), followed by a match against Timor Leste on Thursday (June 4), and concluding the group stage against Vietnam on Sunday (June 7).
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Full Draw Results for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers:
Group A: South Korea, Kyrgyzstan (Host), Philippines, Lebanon
Group B: Uzbekistan (Host), Syria, India, Bangladesh
Group C: Iran, Vietnam (Host), North Korea, Palestine
Group D: Jordan, Tajikistan, Bahrain (Host), Afghanistan
Group E: Saudi Arabia, Qatar (Host), Oman, Hong Kong
Group F: Iraq, Thailand (Host), United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan
Group G: Japan, Yemen, Cambodia (Host), Kuwait
Group H: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos (Host)
Development Phase:
Group I: Mongolia, Guam, Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands
Group J: Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Bhutan, Macau
Group K: Myanmar, Maldives, Brunei Darussalam, Sri Lanka
Summary
The Indonesia U-20 national team has been drawn into Group H for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, where they will face Australia, Malaysia, and host nation Laos. Scheduled from August 25 to September 6, 2026, the tournament requires teams to finish as group winners or among the seven best runners-up to secure a spot in the final competition.
Under the leadership of head coach Nova Arianto, the squad is intensifying preparations to build on their previous successes. As part of their training, the team will compete as hosts and defending champions in the 2026 ASEAN U-19 Boys’ Championship, held in Medan this June. This experience serves as a crucial milestone for the team as they aim to qualify for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup.