Melbourne City’s Academy talents made an outstanding start to the AFC U17 Asian Cup this week, playing leading roles for both the Joeys and Indonesia across the opening round of fixtures.
With City representatives featuring heavily, the opening matchday provided another exciting glimpse into the bright future emerging through our Academy pathway.
Baker shines as Indonesia stun China
One of the standout stories of the opening round came from City defender Mathew Baker, who captained Indonesia in their clash against China and produced a match-winning performance.
The talented defender played the full 90 minutes and delivered the decisive moment late in the contest, producing a brilliant long-range pass over the top in the 87th minute to assist Indonesia’s winner in a 1-0 victory.
Baker’s rise continues to gather momentum ahead of what shapes as a huge 2026, with the defender recently speaking to FIFA about his development and time at City.
“It’s been incredible. I joined at 12 and signed my first professional contract at 16.” Baker said in an interview with FIFA.
The journey through the youth ranks towards the senior team has been fast and challenging. I’ve worked so hard for it, but the job isn’t finished yet,” he said.
“My goal is to make my A-League debut next season and help the team have a successful 2026/27 campaign.”
The teenager also spoke proudly about the opportunity to represent Indonesia on the international stage, with the result placing his side in a strong position early in the tournament.
City stars fire for the Joeys
Australia’s U17 National Team also opened its campaign in style, recording a dominant 4-0 win over India in the early hours of Thursday morning (AEST).
There was no shortage of City representation in the Joeys lineup, with Besian Kutleshi captaining the side, while Oliver O’Carroll, Luke Becvinovski and Akeem Gerald were all named in the starting XI.
Luka Demuth and Fraser Brown were also included in the squad from the bench.
City’s impact was felt almost immediately, with Becvinovski opening the scoring just minutes into the contest with a composed close-range finish.
O’Carroll was heavily involved throughout the match and earned widespread praise for his performance in midfield, controlling large periods of the game and helping Australia dictate the tempo.
Demuth then added his name to the scoresheet in the 74th minute, finding the back of the net just 10 minutes after entering the pitch. The midfielder capped off an impressive attacking move, with fellow City talent O’Carroll heavily involved in the build-up.
Kutleshi also produced another tireless display, playing the full 90 minutes just days after starting in City’s Isuzu UTE A-League Elimination Final against Auckland FC.
What’s next?
Australia will now turn attention to a clash against Uzbekistan at 2:00am (AEST) next Thursday morning, with the Joeys already sitting in a strong position to secure progression to both the knockout stages and the upcoming FIFA U17 World Cup.
Indonesia are in action again this weekend, facing Qatar at 2:30am (AEST) on Sunday morning as they look to book their place in the Quarter Finals.
Images Credit: AFC
