# Timor-Leste national under-23 football team

The Timor-Leste national Under-23 football team (Portuguese: Seleção Timorense de Futebol Sub-23) represents Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor) in international football competitions in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games and any other under-23 international football tournaments. It is controlled by the Federação de Futebol de Timor-Leste, the governing body of football in the country. Timor-Leste is currently one of the weakest teams in the world. They won their first match on 5 November 2011 against Brunei, scoring 2–1.

## History

Football was firstly introduced during Portuguese Timor era where many local and the Portuguese colonial official played the sport for enjoyment. After the Portuguese leave the eastern part of the island of Timor, neighbouring Indonesia invaded and change their culture and identity. Timor-Leste gained full independence in 2002 after more than 20 years of occupation which resulted in a long running battle against Jakarta-led forces. The Timor-Leste U-23 team was invited to the 2005 AFF U-23 Youth Championship without any success, which is the first time that the team played in an international tournament. In 2009, the team entered the first Southeast Asian Games. Once again, they lost every match, including a 0–11 loss to Malaysia. Timor-Leste had major improvements at the 2011 SEA Games, when they used overseas players of Timorese descent from Brazil and Australia. These players contributed a lot to their successful run; especially from Murilo de Almeida who managed to score three goals. The team finished third in their group by recording their first win in their history, finishing above Laos, Brunei and the Philippines and had a goal difference of –4, which was a big improvement compared to their previous participation where the team finished last in their group with no wins from four games, scoring only once and having a goal difference of –28.

## Kits

Timor-Leste's traditional home kit includes a red shirt, black shorts and red or black socks. The away kits feature white or yellow shirts. At the 2009 SEA Games, their home kit resemble the one worn by the Belgium national team.

### Kit evolution

| Home Kit 2009–2010 | Away Kit 2009–2010 | Alternative Kit 2011 |

## Stadium

* Timor-Leste National Stadium (2002–present)

## Competitive record
### Olympic Games

| Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Olympic Games record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | TQ | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1992 | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia |
| 1996 | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia |
| 2000 | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia | Part of Indonesia |
| 2004 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2008 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2012 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2016 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 2020 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 16 |
| 2024 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 2028 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | — | 0/8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | AFC U-23 Asian Cup (From 2016) | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 34 |

### Asian Games Record

(Under-23 Team since 2002)
Asian Games :
| Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2002 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2006 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2010 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 2014 | Group stage | 28th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| 2018 | Group stage | 24th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 2022 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| Total | Group stage | 2/5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 28 |

### AFC U-23 Asian Cup Record

| AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | AFC U-23 Championship | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2013 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 2016 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 2018 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 |
| 2020 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 16 |
| 2022 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 2024 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | – | 0/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 28 | 56 |

### SEA Games Record

(Under-23 Team since 2001)
Southeast Asian Games :
| Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2005 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2007 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2009 | Group stage | 9th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 28 |
| 2011 | Group stage | 6th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 2013 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 2015 | Group stage | 9th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2017 | Group stage | 9th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 2019 | Group stage | 10th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 18 |
| 2021 | Group stage | 10th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
| 2023 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Total | Group stage | 8/10 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 28 | 24 | 101 |

### AFF U-23 Youth Championship record

AFF U-23 Youth Championship :
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2005 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| 2019 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2022 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| 2023 | Group stage | 9th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Total | Third Place | 4/4 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 26 |

## Coaching staff

| Position | Name |
| Head coach | Vacant |
| Assistant coach | Vacant |
| Goalkeeper coach | Vacant |
| Physiotherapist | Vacant |
| Media officer | Vacant |
| Administrator | Vacant |
| Official | Vacant |
| Kitman | Vacant |

## Players

Head coach: Park Soon-tae
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Georgino Mendonça | (2002-03-16)16 March 2002 (aged 21) | Life FC |
| 3 | 2DF | Orcelio | (2001-04-30)30 April 2001 (aged 22) | Karketu Dili |
| 4 | 2DF | Anizo Correia | (2003-05-23)23 May 2003 (aged 20) | Ponta Leste |
| 5 | 2DF | Fernando Carvalho | (2004-02-18)18 February 2004 (aged 19) | SLB Laulara |
| 6 | 2DF | Ricardo Bianco | (2006-01-15)15 January 2006 (aged 17) | Ponta Leste |
| 7 | 4FW | Luís Figo | (2005-04-17)17 April 2005 (aged 18) | Ponta Leste |
| 8 | 3MF | Luis da Silva | (2006-05-20)20 May 2006 (aged 17) | SLB Laulara |
| 9 | 4FW | Alexandre Moreira | (2001-09-24)24 September 2001 (aged 21) | Ponta Leste |
| 11 | 4FW | Serafin da Silva | | |
| 12 | 1GK | Pablo de Jesus | (2003-09-16)16 September 2003 (aged 19) | Ponta Leste |
| 14 | 3MF | Luis Pinto | (2001-05-08)8 May 2001 (aged 22) | Santa Cruz |
| 15 | 3MF | Pascoal Ximenes | | |
| 16 | 2DF | João Bosco | (2003-03-02)2 March 2003 (aged 20) | Ponta Leste |
| 17 | 3MF | Marques de Carvalho | (2007-02-25)25 February 2007 (aged 16) | SLB Laulara |
| 18 | 4FW | Olagar Xavier | (2003-05-18)18 May 2003 (aged 20) | Ponta Leste |
| 19 | 3MF | Mário Quintão | (2004-03-18)18 March 2004 (aged 19) | Emmanuel |
| 20 | 1GK | Junildo Pereira | (2003-08-17)17 August 2003 (aged 20) | Assalam |
| 21 | 3MF | Freteliano | (2004-08-09)9 August 2004 (aged 19) | Emmanuel |
| 23 | 3MF | Cristevão | (2004-01-16)16 January 2004 (aged 19) | SLB Laulara |

## Recent results

Win  Draw  Loss
31st Southeast Asian Games

## List of coaches

| Coach | Coaching period | Pld | W | D | L | Achievements |
| José Luís | 2005 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2005 AFF U-23 Youth Championship – Round 1 (First Time) |
| Manuel da Costa Soares | 2009–2010 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2009 Southeast Asian Games – Round 1 (First Time) |
| Antonio Carlos Vieira | 2011–2012 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2011 Southeast Asian Games – First Win with Brunei |
| Norio Tsukitate | 2012 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2013 AFC U-22 Championship qualification – Did not qualify |
| Emerson Alcântara | 2013–2014 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2013 Southeast Asian Games – First Draw with Indonesia |
| Takuma Koga | 2014 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2014 Asian Games – Round 1 (First Time) |
| Fábio Magrão | 2015–2016 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification – Did not qualify 2015 Southeast Asian Games – Round 1 |
| Kim Shin-hwan | 2017–2018 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2018 AFC U-23 Championship qualification – Did not qualify |
| Norio Tsukitate | 2018–2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2018 Asian Games – Group stage |