Kudus, Central Java, is preparing to make new history in the country's women's football scene. PSSI along with Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation officially announced the hosting of the Srikandi Merdeka Cup 2026, an international U-17 women's football tournament scheduled to take place from August 14 to 23, 2026, at the Supersoccer Arena, Kudus.
The inaugural tournament in the region will bring together eight strong teams from seven Asian countries. As the host, Indonesia is entitled to field two representatives, namely the Garuda Pertiwi and Putri Nusantara squads. Meanwhile, the other six participant slots will be filled by youth national teams from Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
This competition plays a crucial role in the roadmap of national women's football development. PSSI Executive Committee (Exco) member Vivin Sungkono Cahyani revealed that this event is designed as a warm-up platform as well as a benchmark for the readiness of the Indonesian Women's National Team ahead of the 2027 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers. Her side appreciates the close collaboration with the Djarum Foundation to accelerate the achievements of women's football in the country.
In this event, the two Indonesian representative teams will be coached by experienced trainers, Timo Scheunemann and Takumi Taniguchi. Both have been mandated to balance the strength of the teams, considering this tournament also functions as a talent scouting arena to fill the main Garuda Pertiwi squad in the future.
The tournament will begin with an online group draw on July 23, 2026, to divide the participants into two groups. In addition to competing for the main trophy, the event introduces a mascot named 'Kandi'—a puppetry (wayang) figure symbolizing the bravery of Indonesian women. This tournament also completes the Djarum Foundation's 'Trilogy' development program in integrating early childhood football talent search in a sustainable manner.
