Indonesia suffers a 1-3 comeback defeat in their opening match at the U17 World Cup

Live coverage of the game between U17 Indonesia and Zambia within Group H at the 2025 U17 Asian Championship finals.

U17 Indonesia started enthusiastically but failed to maintain their lead, allowing U17 Zambia to overturn the score and win 3-1 in the group stage opener. Nonetheless, coach Bima Sakti’s squad still has a good chance to advance.

Despite heavy pressure from the African side, Indonesia took the lead in the 11th minute. From a teammate’s cross, Gholy surged in to finish close range, scoring the opening goal for the archipelago team.

However, that joy was short-lived. Within just 3 minutes (from 35 to 37), Zambia’s Abel Nyirongo scored twice consecutively — a quick tap-in and a beautiful long-range shot — helping the yellow-clad team overturn the score to 2-1. Before halftime ended, Lukonde Mwale capitalized on a midfield mistake by Indonesia to extend the lead to 3-1.

In the second half, U17 Zambia suffered setbacks with multiple injury substitutions, while Indonesia pushed forward strongly. They were awarded a penalty at the 61st minute, but after VAR review, the referee ruled no foul. Although creating more chances in the second half, Indonesia’s young forwards lacked precision in finishing.

The 1-3 loss leaves U17 Indonesia pointless after their first match. However, they still have full hopes of progressing to the round of 32 if they perform well in the remaining two matches.

90'+6: The match ends. U17 Indonesia 1-3 U17 Zambia

82': WHAT A MISS

Mierza Firjatullah had a close-range chance but hesitated too long, letting it slip away.

80': DANGEROUS

Nelson Chilemu just unleashed a threatening shot on Indonesia’s goal, but the goalkeeper quickly covered the angle.

78': OFFENSIVE EFFORT

Indonesia players are striving to find an equalizer. They have created more opportunities in the second half but have yet to score.

61': NO PENALTY FOR INDONESIA

Andrew Mwape of U17 Zambia blatantly tripped Evandra Florasta inside the penalty area. The referee initially pointed to the penalty spot. However, after VAR inspection, it was confirmed there was no foul. Moreover, the Indonesian player received a yellow card.

52': CONTINUOUS SETBACKS

At the start of the second half, U17 Zambia had to make several substitutions due to injuries.

41': GOAL!!! 3-1 FOR U17 ZAMBIA

Due to physical fatigue, Indonesia lost possession in midfield. A yellow-shirted player quickly intercepted and delivered a brilliant through ball into the box for Lukonde Mwale to tap in, extending the score to 3-1.

37': 2-1 FOR U17 ZAMBIA

Less than 2 minutes after the equalizer, Abel Nyirongo scored again with a stunning long-range shot to make it 2-1.

35': GOAL!!! ZAMBIA EQUALIZES

From a teammate’s cross, Abel Nyirongo rushed in quickly and finished to level the score.

23': DANGEROUS

Zambia’s number 17, Mapalo Simute, faced Indonesia’s keeper one-on-one but shot over the bar. However, the referee ruled him offside.

19': EXCITED

After taking the lead, Indonesia’s players are much more energized. Meanwhile, Zambia continues to push for an equalizer.

11': GOAL!! INDONESIA TAKES THE LEAD

From a teammate’s cross, Gholy arrived just in time inside the box to score and put Indonesia ahead 1-0.

10': ZAMBIA DOMINATING

Zambia has been dominant since the start of the match. They have repeatedly won dangerous corners near Indonesia’s goal.

3': GOAL DISALLOWED FOR ZAMBIA

U17 Zambia scored in the first minute, but after VAR review, the goal was ruled offside.

1': The match has started

Starting lineups

U17 Indonesia team (4-2-3-1):Dahua (Goalkeeper), Fabio, Putu, Baker, Lee (Defenders), Evandra, Tanjung, Gholy, Nazriel, Alberto (Midfielders), Mierza (Forward).

U17 Zambia national team (4-3-3):Ctambala (Goalkeeper), Mwape, Mwale, Kalimina, Banda (Defenders), Ndhlovu, Mulenga, Phiri (Midfielders), Sibeene, Nyirongo, Simute (Forwards).

What time is the U17 Indonesia vs Zambia match and where to watch live?

• Time: 22:45 on November 4th
• Venue: Aspire Zone - Pitch 7, Qatar
• Tournament: Group H, 2025 U17 World Cup finals
• Live broadcast on: To be updated

For readers' convenience, we will update detailed developments and the result of the match between U17 Indonesia and U17 Zambia in this article.

Some notable information before the U17 Indonesia vs Zambia match

After failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Indonesian football places great hope on its youth generation. At this U17 World Cup, coach Nova Arianto’s team aims to showcase a new identity characterized by discipline, speed, and fighting spirit.

Notably, the U17 Indonesia squad includes only 4 out of 23 players who are naturalized or playing abroad. This reflects the archipelago’s focus on developing domestic talent. In friendlies, Indonesia has shown clear progress: high pressing, good ball control, and quick counterattacks. The 0-0 draw against U17 Ivory Coast demonstrated their organizational readiness.

In the last 5 matches, Indonesia won 3, drew 1, lost 1, scoring 7 goals and conceding 7 — a stable performance with increasingly mature playstyle.

On the other side, U17 Zambia is making their debut at the youth World Cup but possesses impressive physicality, speed, and strong contesting ability. The African team’s recent record is 2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, scoring 8 and conceding 10 goals in 5 games, showing an open style but defensive vulnerability.

This is the first encounter between the two teams, promising an interesting clash between Asian discipline and African power. Indonesia needs to maintain reasonable pressing and avoid getting caught up in Zambia’s fast tempo if they want a positive result.

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