Indonesia’s U-16 Women Begin Final Selection for Srikandi Cup

RRI.CO.ID, Kudus - Indonesian U-16 women’s national soccer team coach Timo Scheunemann has begun finalizing preparations for the 2026 Srikandi Merdeka Cup by holding a training camp starting July 24 at the Supersoccer Arena in Kudus, Central Java.

The camp will serve as the final stage of selection before Indonesia fields two teams in the international tournament, scheduled for August 14–23.

Timo said the selected players were identified through monitoring during the 2025/2026 Hydroplus Soccer League (HSL) All-Stars and by identifying potential talents outside the competition.

“Essentially, we’ll start training camps for all the players together, then split them into two teams of 23 players each,” Timo said while monitoring the 2025/2026 U-15 HSL All-Stars match at the Supersoccer Arena in Kudus on Saturday, July 11, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He noted that the number of players joining the camp will exceed the final squad requirements. The coaching team will then select two squads of 23 players each, for a total of 46, to represent Indonesia in the Srikandi Merdeka Cup.

Assistant coach Takumi Taniguchi is also scheduled to lead one of the Indonesian teams.

During the camp, both squads will undergo trials ranging from internal matches to head-to-head games as part of the evaluation. If necessary, they will also face men’s teams to sharpen their quality and test their readiness before the tournament.

Timo explained that the coaching team has identified several names based on monitoring across four HSL regions and the All-Stars round in Kudus. However, final decisions will not be based on a single match.

“Each player is monitored in detail across several games before being compared with others in the same position,” he said.

He added that assessments cover not only technical ability but also playing intelligence with and without the ball, decision-making, positional flexibility, and physical condition.

Competition for places on the women’s U-16 national team, Timo continued, is now much fiercer than in previous years. The rising quality and quantity of players require every young footballer to train consistently to maintain a chance of representing Indonesia.

“So, I hope every player seizes opportunities at every tournament and becomes more serious about developing their career,” he said.

According to Timo, this progress is supported by the introduction of youth competitions over the past 10 months, which have given players more playing time. More clubs are also implementing year-round development programs, rather than training only in the lead-up to tournaments.

The Hydroplus Soccer League All-Stars has become a crucial event in scouting female talent across age groups. The tournament not only provides a platform for U-15 and U-18 players but also serves as a talent pool for clubs and the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) in building national teams at all levels.

The 2026 Srikandi Merdeka Cup will feature eight U-16 teams from seven countries: Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Jordan, and Indonesia. As host, Indonesia will field two teams in the tournament, which will take place at the Supersoccer Arena in Kudus, Central Java, from August 14–23, 2026. ***