Indonesia Eyes U‑17 Women’s Soccer Asian Cup Finals Through Singapore Qualifiers

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta -Indonesia’s U‑17 women’s national team will pursue a spot in the 2027 AFC U‑17 Women’s Asian Cup finals as it begins its qualifying campaign in Singapore from October 5–11, 2026, aiming to strengthen women’s football development and pave the way toward the U‑17 Women’s World Cup.

Indonesia arrived in Singapore on Saturday, October 3, and immediately began its final preparations for the Group B qualifiers at Bishan Stadium.

Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Chairman Erick Thohir said the Garuda Pertiwi Muda squad must aim to finish top of the group to secure a place in the finals in China.

“We certainly hope the U17 women’s national team can achieve strong results and compete on an equal footing with the men’s national team. Most importantly, the players should enjoy the process, work hard and be brave enough to face every match,” Erick said in a written statement monitored in Jakarta on Saturday, October 3, as quoted by Antara.

Indonesia is in Group B with hosts Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The team will open its campaign against Bahrain on Monday, October 5. Only the group winner will qualify for the 2027 AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup finals, making the top position essential to Indonesia’s qualification hopes.

Erick also urged the players to enjoy the tournament and focus on their development throughout the competition. “PSSI will continue supporting women’s football development so that it becomes stronger and can bring Indonesia onto the world stage,” he said.

He emphasized that PSSI would provide equal support to the U17 women’s team and the senior men’s national team, which also have matches scheduled around the same period.

“It is interesting to see our two national teams competing around the same time: the U17 women’s team at junior level and the senior men’s team at senior level,” he added.

“We do not want to compare them or place additional pressure on them. Instead, we want to provide equal support so that each team can develop and perform at its best,” he continued.

Indonesian U17 Women’s Qualifying Schedule

• October 5, 2026, 4 p.m. Jakarta time: Indonesia vs. Bahrain
• October 8, 2026, 4 p.m. Jakarta time: Saudi Arabia vs. Indonesia
• October 11, 2026, 7 p.m. Jakarta time: Indonesia vs. Singapore ***