Today (February 12), the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup will officially kick off in China. Southeast Asia is represented by two teams: Indonesia U-20 and Thailand U-20.
Ahead of the tournament, FIFA highlighted six players to watch at the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup. Among them, Indonesia’s young talent Dony Tri Pamungkas was recognized alongside Panagiotis Kikianis (Australia), Yotaro Nakajima (Japan), Yun Do Young (South Korea), Lazizbek Mirzaev (Uzbekistan), and Ibrahim Sabra (Jordan).
Commenting on Dony Tri Pamungkas’ abilities, FIFA wrote: “Dony Tri Pamungkas burst onto the scene in Indonesia at just 16 years old. He became the youngest player ever to feature in Indonesia’s top-tier league, playing for Persija Jakarta.
The left-back plays with intelligence and composure. His attacking support and defensive skills are both impressive. Dony Tri Pamungkas will captain Indonesia U-20 at the Asian Cup, where he has the perfect stage to showcase his talent.”
Born on January 11, 2005, Dony Tri Pamungkas was named in Indonesia’s squad for the 2024 AFF Cup. The 20-year-old defender even started in the match against Vietnam during the group stage. He is part of the long-term plan to conquer the SEA Games and the U-23 Asian Cup.
At the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup, Indonesia U-20 is in a challenging group with Uzbekistan, Iran, and Yemen. Notably, Uzbekistan U-20 is the defending champion, Iran U-20 won all their qualifying matches without conceding a goal, and Yemen U-20 was the best runner-up team (having drawn with Indonesia U-20 during qualifiers).
Indonesia U-20 will face Iran in their opening match on the evening of February 13.
Thailand U-20 Also Faces Tough Competition
The other representative from Southeast Asia, Thailand U-20, shares a group with South Korea, Japan, and Syria. Both South Korea and Japan are powerhouses in youth football in Asia. With only two spots available to advance, it will be difficult for Thailand U-20 to progress beyond the group stage. The team will open their campaign against Japan on the evening of February 14.
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