Dramatic victory over Thailand, Indonesia crowned Southeast Asian champions

The Indonesia U16 squad made history by overcoming the host nation Thailand 4-3 in a nail-biting final, securing the exciting and heartfelt AFF Futsal Cup 2025 championship.

The Indonesia U16 futsal team brilliantly secured the championship at the AFF U16 Southeast Asia Futsal Cup 2025 after a tense 4-3 win against host Thailand in the final held on the afternoon of December 29 at Nonthaburi Arena.

The match started with high intensity as Thailand quickly took the lead in the first minute through a shot by Boonyarit Petchtiam. However, the home team's advantage was short-lived. Just three minutes later, Hetson Messi scored with a left-footed strike to equalize 1-1, setting the stage for an exciting chase.

Both teams continuously attacked, creating many dangerous chances. In the 17th minute, Boonyarit completed his brace to put Thailand ahead 2-1. Nevertheless, the Indonesia U16 side remained resilient. Just before halftime, Faisal Gumilang unleashed a powerful long-range shot to level the score at 2-2.

In the second half, Indonesia demonstrated impressive composure by mounting dominant attacks. At the 26th minute, Dafa Ramadan capitalized on a goalkeeper error by Thanathip to score, increasing the lead to 3-2. Less than a minute later, Faisal shone again with his second goal, extending Indonesia’s advantage to 4-2.

Under pressure, Thailand pushed forward with full force and employed a power play strategy in the final minutes. At the 38th minute, Boonyarit completed his hat-trick, narrowing the gap to 3-4 and making the contest intense. However, Indonesia’s defense stood firm and preserved their victory until the final whistle.

At the end of the match, the young Indonesian players erupted in joy. This is the first time the Indonesia U16 futsal team has triumphed on the regional stage, a historic milestone for the development of futsal in the country.

The victory over Thailand, the strongest and most experienced team in Southeast Asia, not only confirms the potential of Indonesia’s young playersbut also opens new hopes for the future of futsal in the archipelago.