Welcoming the Indonesian Women's Team back to the Asian stage

Indonesia last appeared in the U-17 Asian Cup in the inaugural edition in 2005 in South Korea. In this competition, "Garuda Pertiwi" was bottom of Group A after suffering three defeats in three matches.

Also read: Garuda Pertiwi Historical Milestones

Papat Yunisal, a living legend of Indonesian women's football, still remembers how the women's national team competed in the inaugural Asian Cup. Papat, who in that event was deputy manager of the Indonesian national team, saw the players having difficulty developing playing patterns, especially when they lost 0-15 to South Korea. Even now, Papat continued, South Korea is still one of the big powers in women's football.

There’s no exaggeration. Since its first edition, the Under-17 Women's Asian Cup has undergone several changes. When it was first held under the name of the Women's Asian Championship, this competition was held for U-17 players. With only eleven teams participating, there were no qualifications held.

In 2007, the tournament switched to the U-16 category, with six teams participating. In 2009, eight teams made it to the final round out of a total of 12, and for the first time, a qualifying round was held. Starting from 2022, this tournament will switch back to the U-17 category.

Most importantly, the players don't give up easily on the field. The fighting power must be great.

Even though the tournament changed format and categories several times, the championship competition almost only involved these teams, namely Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. These last two teams are in Group A with Indonesia and the Philippines in the 2024 U-17 Asian Cup.

Together with Japan, China, and Thailand, South Korea is a team that always competes in the final round of the Asian Cup. In those eight editions, South Korea successfully made it to the final match in 2009 and 2017. However, South Korea has only won the championship once in their first final in Thailand in 2009. In the 2017 final, South Korea lost to North Korea with a score of 0-2.

Also read: U-17 Women's National Football Team Squad Finally Formed

Therefore, South Korea came to Bali to once again aim for the championship title. Coach Kim Eun-jung even emphasized that they would not be satisfied only with finishing in the top three and qualifying for the World Cup. The team nicknamed "Taegeuk Girls" is also determined to become the best team in Asia.

As for North Korea, they are the owner of three championship titles (in 2007, 2015, and 2017) in their seven appearances at the Asia U-17 Cup. Every time they participate in this event, North Korea always reaches the final. In the last edition's final in Thailand in 2019, North Korea was on the brink of sealing their third consecutive championship if they had not been defeated by Japan with a score of 1-2.

In this U-17 Asia Cup, North Korea has the opportunity to add to the title they previously won in the U-20 age group last March. North Korea defeated Japan 2-1 for their first title in 17 years in the U-20 Asia Cup. One of the players who helped North Korea U-20 become champions, Choe Il-son, also joined the U-17 team in this Asia Cup.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is not an opponent to be taken lightly. Moreover, the Philippines will make its debut in the Asian Cup. Success in breaking through to the Asian Cup is also inseparable from a brilliant performance in the qualifying round, namely a 3-1 victory over Bangladesh and a 1-0 victory over Vietnam.

Optimistic

Apart from that, Papat Yunisal, who observed the U-17 team's training camp over the past week, is optimistic that the players can compete. According to the 1982 ASEAN Women's Championship runner-up, the U-17 team players now have many references to develop their game. This way, they have basic knowledge before being polished by Indonesian Coach Satoru Mochizuki.

"The presence of coach Mochi can also be a differentiating factor as, despite the short time, he has experience in handling world-level teams like Japan. Most importantly, the players are not easily discouraged on the field. Their fighting spirit must be strong," said Papat, who was met during the U-17 team training at Bali United Training Center, Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali, on Sunday (5/5/2024).

Also read: Indonesian Women's Team Momentum Learns Lessons from World Level Teams

The heavy burden rests on Mochizuki's shoulders. In addition to the 2024 U-17 Asia Cup being Indonesia's first appearance after nearly two decades of absence, it is also Mochizuki's debut as coach of the women's team.

However, Mochizuki is convinced that his coaching experience, including coaching the Japanese national team to win the 2011 World Cup and achieve second place at the 2012 London Olympics, will help him overcome the burden. "I don't really think about the burden. The difficulty is only in terms of communication with players and different perspectives. However, it is slowly starting to be overcome," he said.

Despite that, Indonesia's performance in the Under-17 Women's Asian Cup for the second time is a moment that should be celebrated. Aside from being a suitable opportunity for the team to gain many lessons and experiences from intense competition, the Under-17 Women's Asian Cup also marks the starting point for Indonesia's women's football to receive the same spotlight. The Under-17 Women's Asian Cup is a joint celebration for Indonesia's women's football.