Nova Arianto has expressed his hope of guiding more players to represent the Indonesian national football team.

As the head coach of Indonesia’s U-19 national team, Nova spoke about his main objectives ahead of the ASEAN U-19 Championship 2026.

Indonesia will compete in Group A alongside Vietnam, Myanmar, and Timor Leste.

Previously, Nova earned recognition for leading the Indonesian U-17 national team to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, a notable milestone in his coaching career.

Now, he faces a new challenge with the U-20 national team, where expectations are equally high.

Despite the demanding task, Nova continues to be seen as one of the most promising local coaches in Indonesian football.

The coach explained that his personal goal is to rigorously develop his players through intensive training and mental preparation.

His ultimate objective is to prepare them to earn a place in the senior Indonesian national team once they are ready.

He emphasised the importance of mental strength, especially as competition at the international level becomes increasingly tough.

“When asked about my personal target, ever since I was first appointed to lead the U-17 team,” Nova said.

“Once again, I am grateful for the opportunity with the U-20 squad. My focus is to build the players’ mental resilience,” he added.

“Psychologically, they need to be prepared to step up to the senior national team,” Nova told BolaSport.com, as quoted from Kompas.com.

The coach from Semarang continued by saying that his mission is to help his players eventually reach the senior team.

He considers it a significant achievement when his young players can progress to the highest level of national football.

This remains a continuous effort, and the players are showing strong enthusiasm to keep improving.

“I prefer — once again, I prefer — to be called successful,” he said.

“If any of the U-17 or U-20 players can play for the senior national team,” Nova explained.

Furthermore, Nova believes that qualifying for the World Cup and Asian Cup at youth levels is only part of a larger developmental journey.

He stressed that players must be properly nurtured and conditioned to handle the demands of senior-level competition.

He also acknowledged that the path ahead will be challenging and will require immense dedication and hard work.

With Indonesia’s current football potential, Nova feels this opportunity must be seized and maximised.

“Because qualifying for the World Cup or the Asian Cup, in my view, is just one stage in the process,” he concluded.

“It’s part of the journey that the players must go through so they can be fully ready to perform at the senior national team level.”