# Indonesian football tournament preparations > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/indonesian-football-tournament-preparations > Updated: 2026-09-05T06:59:42.000Z. Sources: 42. Developments: 5. Indonesia is advancing preparations across multiple levels of national football. The country is preparing to host the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 in late September and early October. PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir confirmed that the tournament will allow the national team to field its strongest squad, including European-based naturalized players. Experts have noted that the potential return of overseas-based players such as Jay Idzes, Kevin Diks, and Calvin Verdonk could “significantly strengthen the defense,” particularly as the tournament coincides with the FIFA Matchday calendar. Simultaneously, the Indonesia U-20 national team, led by coach Nova Arianto, has successfully secured qualification for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup in China. The Garuda Muda squad completed their qualification phase at the top of Group H after a 2-0 victory against Australia at the Lao National Stadium. Theodore Evan Leeming scored in the 28th minute, and Amar Rayhan Brkic added a goal in stoppage time (90+2'). Indonesia finished the qualification stage with seven points from three matches, having previously recorded a 0-0 draw against Malaysia and a 3-0 victory against Laos. Notably, the squad maintained a perfect defensive record throughout the entire qualification stage, recording five goals scored and zero goals conceded. This victory also resulted in Australia failing to qualify for the tournament for the first time in its history. Following the qualification, PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir praised the team’s courage but urged players to continue improving their physical and tactical readiness for the main tournament, which is scheduled to be held from March 24 to April 10, 2027. Coach Nova Arianto credited the success to the collective hard work of the squad and staff. ## Claims - Indonesia U20 will face Laos U20 in the second matchday of Group H for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The match is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 19:00 WIB. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Indonesia U20 drew 0-0 against Malaysia in their opening match. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Nova Arianto is the coach of the Indonesia U20 team. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Laos lost 0-2 to Australia in their first match. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Indonesia's primary issue in their first match was finishing. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Australia leads Group H with three points. (single source) - Only the group winner automatically qualifies for the final tournament, with seven best runners-up also securing spots. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-05: Indonesia and India secure spots in 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Indonesia and India have qualified for the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup. Indonesia won Group H, while India secured a spot as a top runner-up, ending a 20-year absence from the tournament. 29 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/afc-u20-asian-cup-qualifiers-reach-decisive-final-matches ### 2026-09-02: Indonesia U-20 tops Group H after 3-0 win over Laos Indonesia U-20 defeated Laos 3-0 to lead Group H in the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, setting up a decisive final match against Australia. 16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indonesia-u20-faces-laos-in-critical-afc-u-20-asian-cup-qualifier ### 2026-08-30: Indonesia U-20 draws 0-0 against Malaysia in AFC U-20 qualification Indonesia U-20 drew 0-0 against Malaysia in their opening AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualification match, highlighting a need for better finishing ahead of upcoming games against Laos and Australia. 16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indonesia-u-20-begins-2027-afc-u-20-asian-cup-qualification ### 2026-08-20: Southeast Asian U-20 teams prepare for AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Southeast Asian U-20 national teams, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, are finalizing squads and preparations for the upcoming AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers in Laos and Bhutan. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indonesia-u-20-prepares-for-afc-asian-cup-qualifiers ### 2026-08-10: Indonesia prepares to host inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 Indonesia prepares to host the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, aiming to field its strongest squad due to the FIFA calendar. The country is also relaunching its women's professional league this October. 19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/saudi-ministry-of-hajj-approves-2026-service-provider-evaluations --- Cite as: Indonesian football tournament preparations. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/indonesian-football-tournament-preparations