RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s U-17 coach, Nova Arianto, emphasized the importance of mental strength, courage in physical duels, and increased international exposure after his team played two friendlies against China U-17.

In the second match at the Indomilk Arena Stadium in Tangerang Regency on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Indonesia lost 2-3. The result followed a heavy 0-7 defeat to the same opponents at the same venue on Sunday, February 8.

“Today, we saw a different face of the game. Previously, we knew we lost 7-0, and today, I’m grateful, even though the result still did not meet our expectations. I saw the players change mentally,” Nova said at the post-match press conference, as quoted by Antara.

He added that the players showed greater confidence, discipline, and willingness to engage in physical duels compared to the first encounter.

Nova acknowledged that most of the squad are still accustomed to domestic competitions such as the Elite Pro Academy, and therefore need more international matches to adapt to higher-level opponents. He recalled that before the past U-17 Asian Cup and U-17 World Cup campaigns, the team had played up to 17 friendlies, which helped prepare the players more thoroughly.

“The defeat was a big lesson for us. From that, we evaluated defensive discipline, courage in duels, and the players’ confidence,” he said. Nova hopes that the experience from the two matches will serve as valuable preparation for upcoming tournaments, including the AFF U-17 Championship and the AFC U-17 Asian Cup.

He also stressed that the ongoing transition to new head coach Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto must proceed smoothly to ensure continuity in the youth program. Nova himself has been assigned new responsibilities as coach of the U-20 national team.

“These two games will serve as material for the new U-17 national team coach to observe the team, see where our level is, and identify what needs to be improved,” Nova said. He added that while each coach has different methods and philosophies, the main objective remains the same: building strong mentality from an early age. ***

“I always ask the players never to be afraid of any opponent. Hopefully, the new coach can understand the players’ character and continue the process of mental development, even with different technical approaches,” he concluded.