After securing their quarterfinal spot and a guaranteed berth at the 2025 World Cup with victories over South Korea and Yemen, Indonesian U17 head coach Nova Arianto deployed a reserve team against Afghanistan U17. Indonesia needed to conserve their players for a potential deeper run in the tournament.
Afghanistan U17, already eliminated after two consecutive losses, entered the match with a relaxed approach. Both teams played an open game, creating several opportunities but failing to convert them.
In the second half, Indonesia gained control of the ball, forcing Afghanistan into a defensive posture. As the match progressed, Afghanistan’s physical limitations and defensive vulnerabilities became increasingly apparent.
Indonesia capitalized on their dominance in the 90+5th minute. Alberto skillfully dribbled past the defense and executed a delicate lob shot over the Afghan goalkeeper to open the scoring. A minute later, Zahaby Gholy sealed the 2-0 victory with a close-range finish following a well-placed pass from a teammate.
This victory concludes Indonesia U17’s impressive undefeated group stage campaign. They earned a perfect 9 points, topped Group C, and became the only Southeast Asian team to reach the quarterfinals.
In another crucial Group C match, South Korea U17 defeated Yemen U17 1-0, thanks to Kim Eun Seong’s solitary goal. The South Korean team secured the second spot in the group and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Groups A and B also concluded their three matches. Uzbekistan U17, Saudi Arabia U17, Japan U17, and UAE U17 advanced to the quarterfinals. Southeast Asian representatives Thailand U17 (lost all three matches) and Vietnam U17 (drew all three matches) were eliminated.
The quarterfinals of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship have set the stage for two exciting matchups: Uzbekistan U17 vs. UAE U17 and Japan U17 vs. Saudi Arabia U17 on the evening of April 13th. Indonesia U17 will face the runner-up from Group D, while South Korea U17 will play the Group D winner in the quarterfinals on the evening of April 14th.
The final matches of Group D will take place this evening (April 11th) with Iran U17 facing Tajikistan U17 and North Korea U17 confronting Oman U17. North Korea currently leads the group with 4 points, followed by Tajikistan and Oman (both with 3 points) and Iran (1 point) after two matches.
