Nova made this statement during the Indonesian U-17 national team's training session ahead of their friendly match against China U-17 at the Indomilk Arena in Tangerang on Thursday. The friendly matches will be held twice at the Indomilk Arena, on Sunday (February 8) and Wednesday (February 11).
"Because once again, this is our program. PSSI has been implementing this program since we qualified for the World Cup. And the hope of the General Chairman (Erick Thohir) that we can qualify for the World Cup has become a tradition," said Nova, who still leads the U-17 team's match against China, before handing over the reins to new head coach Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto.
Nova became the coach who successfully led Indonesia to play in the 2025 U-17 World Cup in Qatar, after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2025 U-17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
At the 2025 U-17 World Cup, Indonesia's journey ended in third place in Group H. They collected three points thanks to a 2-1 victory against Honduras.
This was Indonesia's first win in the U-17 World Cup after their first participation in the tournament two years earlier as hosts, ended with two draws and one loss.
"We've tried to maintain that tradition with thorough preparation. And Garuda United is one of the ways, not just a trial run, but a way for us to qualify for the World Cup again," said Nova, the coach who now leads the Indonesian U-20 national team.
Meanwhile, explaining his reasons for still leading the Young Garuda in the two friendly matches against China, he admitted that PSSI had given him the responsibility to help with the team's transition process, before Kurniawan took over completely.
"And why am I here? Once again, I've been given the responsibility by the PSSI to oversee their match against China. This includes ensuring a smooth transition with coach Kurniawan," he said.
