RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The road to the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup in China will be far from easy for Indonesia’s young squad, after the draw placed them in Group H alongside defending champions Australia, regional rivals Malaysia, and hosts Laos.

The draw, announced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, sets the stage for a demanding qualification campaign, Antara reported.

Scheduled from August 25 to September 6, 2026, the qualifiers will adopt a new format introduced by the AFC. A total of 32 teams is divided into eight groups, with only the group winners and the seven best runners-up from Groups A to H advancing to the final tournament.

Groups I to K, meanwhile, form part of the Development Phase. Teams in these groups will compete for experience but will not qualify for the 2027 finals, instead entering the qualification cycle for the next edition.

For Indonesia, preparations are already underway under head coach Nova Arianto. The former U17 national team coach, who guided Garuda Muda to the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025 in Qatar, is now tasked with steering the U20 squad through another high-stakes campaign.

Their first test comes at the ASEAN U19 Boys’ Championship 2026 in Medan, North Sumatra, from June 1–13. As hosts and defending champions, Indonesia will compete in Group A against Vietnam, Timor Leste, and Myanmar.

Indonesia’s fixtures begin against Myanmar on Monday, June 1, followed by Timor Leste on Thursday, June 4, and Vietnam on Sunday, June 7.

Full Draw - AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers

• Group A: South Korea, Kyrgyzstan (hosts), Philippines, Lebanon
• Group B: Uzbekistan (hosts), Syria, India, Bangladesh
• Group C: Iran, Vietnam (hosts), North Korea, Palestine
• Group D: Jordan, Tajikistan, Bahrain (hosts), Afghanistan
• Group E: Saudi Arabia, Qatar (hosts), Oman, Hong Kong
• Group F: Iraq, Thailand (hosts), UAE, Turkmenistan
• Group G: Japan, Yemen, Cambodia (hosts), Kuwait
• Group H: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos (hosts)

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.

For Indonesia, the challenge in Group H is formidable, but the upcoming ASEAN U19 Championship will serve as a crucial rehearsal before facing Australia, Malaysia, and Laos in the qualifiers. ***