The AFF U-19 Youth Championship - This year, the AFF U-19 is scheduled to take place from July 17 - 29 in Surabaya, the City of Heroes, specifically at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium and 10 November Stadium. A total of 12 countries will compete in the tournament include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.
AFF is an annual international football competition held every two years for national teams that are members of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and sometimes invitees from across Asia. The tournament serves as a platform for players under the age of 19, born on or after January 1st 2005, to showcase their skills and compete at an international level in a competitive environment. The tournament aims to provide young players with an opportunity to develop their talents and compete at an international level in a competitive setting. Through this competition, knowledge and experience exchange among participating countries are expected, aiming to assess and enhance the quality of their national youth teams and strengthen relationships among AFF member nations.
Before the existence of this tournament, the development of young players certainly wasn't as rapid as when the tournament is available. Tournaments often become a very important platform for young players to hone their skills, gain valuable playing experience, and showcase their potential to the world. With the presence of tournaments, young players have the opportunity to develop faster, measure their abilities against other players, and expand their network in the sports world. Tournaments serve as a significant driver in accelerating the development of young players and creating a more competitive generation of athletes in the future.
"I always emphasize to all the players never to take the match for granted. Because that is what will make their mentality develop, especially as young people who have to be taken care of, that when it comes to maintaining their mood, they have a winning mentality, a winning mentality. That is what we must always build," says Indra Sjafri, Coach of the U-19 Indonesian National Team.
The AFF U-19 Cup can serve as a platform for talent scouts to discover potential players who may have a future career in professional football. Moreover, the tournament provides valuable experience for young players that can aid them in their professional football careers in the future.
