Asnawi Mangkualam

3.1. Persiba Balikpapan

After years in the youth ranks of PSM Makassar, Asnawi embarked on his professional career by joining Persiba Balikpapan for the 2016 Indonesia Soccer Championship A (ISC A). This tournament was a temporary competition that replaced the defunct Indonesian Super League following a schism within the PSSI (Football Association of Indonesia) and a subsequent FIFA suspension on Indonesia in 2015.

Asnawi quickly made an impact, notably becoming the youngest player to score in the ISC A. At just 17 years and five days old, he netted an opening goal in the second minute of a match against Bali United at Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium on October 9. During his time at Persiba Balikpapan, he made 8 appearances and scored 2 goals.

3.2. PSM Makassar

In 2017, with the emergence of Liga 1 as the stable football competition in Indonesia, Asnawi returned to his hometown club, PSM Makassar. He made his debut for the club on February 12, 2017, against Persela Lamongan in the Indonesia President's Cup, the league's pre-season tournament. His Liga 1 debut with PSM followed on April 16, where he played the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 victory against the same opponent, Persela Lamongan. He concluded his first season back with 9 appearances.

Despite his young age, Asnawi rapidly established himself as one of PSM Makassar's most promising and talented players, largely due to his versatility and technical skills. In the 2018 season, he made 14 appearances for the club, a significant improvement from the previous season.

His first international club appearance came on April 17, 2019, in the 2019 AFC Cup group stage against Philippines Football League club Kaya F.C.-Iloilo, where he came on as a substitute in a 2-1 win. On May 3, 2019, Asnawi provided an assist for his teammate Muhammad Rahmat in a 2-0 away victory in the second leg of PSM's 2018-19 Piala Indonesia quarter-final against Bhayangkara. With an aggregate score of 4-4, PSM advanced to the Piala Indonesia semi-final on away goals, becoming the first team to do so.

In August 2019, he secured his first trophy with the club, playing the full 90 minutes in the second leg of the Piala Indonesia final against Persija Jakarta. He also earned the tournament's Best Young Player award. That same month, he scored his first league goal of the season, opening the scoring in a 2-1 home win over PS Barito Putera. During the 2019 league season, he made 18 league appearances and scored one goal for PSM Makassar.

On February 26, 2020, Asnawi assisted his teammate Giancarlo in a 3-1 home victory against Myanmar National League club Shan United in the 2020 AFC Cup group stage. He scored his first goal of the 2020 season later that month, opening the scoring in a 1-1 draw against Persita Tangerang at Benteng Taruna Stadium. However, the 2020 Liga 1 season was officially discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting Asnawi to just 3 league appearances and one goal before its cessation.

PSM's management agreed to release Asnawi, even though his contract still had a season left, as he expressed a desire to continue his career abroad, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the resumption of Liga 1. During his four years with PSM Makassar, Asnawi played in 62 official matches, scoring 2 goals. He contributed to PSM's third-place finish in Liga 1 in 2017 and a runner-up finish in 2018, as well as reaching the semifinals of the 2019 AFC Cup Southeast Asia. Individually, he was named to the Liga 1 Team of the Season in 2019 and received the Favorite Young Footballer award at the 2019 Indonesian Soccer Awards.

3.3. Ansan Greeners

In January 2021, Asnawi made his first move abroad, joining K League 2 side Ansan Greeners on a permanent deal. This transfer was historic, as he became the first Indonesian footballer to play in the Korean league, and Ansan Greeners became the first K League team to register a player under the newly introduced Southeast Asian quota. His move was notably influenced by Shin Tae-yong, the head coach of the Indonesian national team, who reportedly convinced Asnawi to pursue the opportunity abroad. Despite the transfer involving a reportedly lower salary compared to his earnings at PSM Makassar, Asnawi accepted it, demonstrating his commitment to playing overseas.

The transfer garnered significant attention from the local Indonesian community in Ansan and South Korean fans, leading to a substantial increase in followers on the club's official social media accounts even before the official announcement.

After a period of COVID-19 self-isolation rules rendered him unavailable for the initial games of the season, Asnawi made his debut for Ansan Greeners on March 28, 2021. He played the full 90 minutes as a right-back in a 1-0 victory against K4 League club Yangpyeong FC in the Korean FA Cup. On April 3, 2021, he made his K League 2 debut, playing 61 minutes as a right winger in a 1-1 draw against Busan IPark. He then made back-to-back appearances in the subsequent five games, recording his first league assist on April 24, 2021, in the Greeners' 1-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen. For his impressive performances, Asnawi was named the K League 2 Player of the Month for April 2021. He finished his first season with 1,004 minutes played across 14 league matches.

Asnawi continued to improve in his second season with Ansan Greeners. On July 23, 2022, he scored his first goal in South Korea, contributing to a 3-1 home win over Gimpo FC. Just eight days later, he found the net again in a 3-0 league victory against the Jeonnam Dragons, the club he would later join. By the end of the 2022 season, Asnawi had accumulated 1,646 minutes of play across 27 matches in two competitions, scoring two goals and providing three assists.

3.4. Jeonnam Dragons

On January 27, 2023, Asnawi officially transferred to fellow K League 2 club Jeonnam Dragons on a permanent deal. He made his debut for Jeonnam Dragons on March 1, playing the full 90 minutes as a right-midfielder in a match against FC Anyang, which ended in a dramatic loss. Four days later, he received his first red card for the club in a 0-5 defeat against Gyeongnam.

Despite the setback, Asnawi returned to the first team on April 8, playing 82 minutes. In this match against Seongnam, which ended in a 2-2 draw, he notably provided two assists and played as a left-back for the first time under coach Lee Jang-kwan. During his tenure with Jeonnam Dragons, he played in 27 official matches and contributed to the team's improved league ranking, moving up four places from 11th in the previous season. His contract with Jeonnam Dragons concluded at the end of the 2023 season, marking the end of his three-year stay in South Korea.

3.5. Port F.C.

On January 26, 2024, Thai League 1 club Port announced the signing of Asnawi. He joined the team directly after his participation in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Asnawi made his debut for Port on February 14, 2024, coming on as a substitute in a 4-3 victory against Muangthong United. On October 19, 2024, Asnawi scored his first goal for the club against Nakhon Ratchasima in a 3-2 win, with his goal proving to be the decisive one. He currently wears the number 3 jersey for Port F.C.

4.1. Youth National Teams

Asnawi was a pivotal player for Indonesia's national Under-16, Under-19, and Under-23 squads.

With the Under-16 team, he was part of the squad that finished as runner-up in the 2013 AFF U-16 Youth Championship, making 7 appearances in the process. For the Under-19 team, he contributed to third-place finishes in both the 2017 and 2018 AFF U-19 Youth Championships, accumulating 16 appearances.

His contributions to the Under-23 team have been particularly notable. He debuted for the U-23 team in 2017 and has since made a total of 24 appearances, scoring 2 goals. He played a significant role in securing bronze medals at the 2017 and 2021 Southeast Asian Games. In the 2019 Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines, Asnawi helped Indonesia win a silver medal and was subsequently voted into the tournament's best eleven. He also played a crucial part in the team's victory at the 2019 AFF U-22 Youth Championship. Overall, he has contributed to Indonesia U-23 securing three consecutive medals at the Southeast Asian Games.

4.2. Senior National Team

Asnawi made his international debut for the senior team on March 21, 2017, coming on as a substitute during a friendly match against Myanmar. In doing so, he broke the record for the youngest player to earn a senior international cap for Indonesia, at the age of 17 years and 167 days. This record was later surpassed by Ronaldo Kwateh on January 27, 2022, who debuted at 17 years and 104 days.

In November 2021, Indonesian coach Shin Tae-yong called Asnawi up to the national team for friendly matches in Turkey against Afghanistan and Myanmar. The following month, he was named in Indonesia's squad for the 2020 AFF Championship in Singapore. On December 12, Asnawi scored his first international goal with a penalty against Laos in a 5-1 victory at the 2020 AFF Championship. He also provided an assist for Irfan Jaya in the same match. Indonesia finished as runner-up in the 2020 AFF Championship. He later participated in the 2022 AFF Championship, helping Indonesia reach the semifinals. To date, Asnawi has made 50 appearances for the senior national team, scoring 2 goals.

4.2.1. Key Matches and Achievements

Asnawi played a pivotal role in the 2020 AFF Championship, where he captained the Indonesian team. He featured in all group stage matches, both semifinal legs, and both final legs, contributing significantly to Indonesia's first final appearance in five years and their eventual runner-up finish.

In June 2022, he started all three matches in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup third qualifying round. His strong performances against opponents like Kuwait, a former 1980 AFC Asian Cup champion, and Nepal, were instrumental in securing Indonesia's fifth AFC Asian Cup qualification after a 16-year absence.

During the 2023 AFC Asian Cup main tournament, Asnawi scored a crucial penalty against Vietnam on January 19, 2024. This solitary goal secured a 1-0 victory in a group stage match, providing the three points necessary for Indonesia to qualify for the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams. This marked Indonesia's historic first-ever progression to the knockout stage of a major tournament.

He also played every minute of all six matches as a starter in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asia Second Qualifying Round. His contributions were key in helping Indonesia surpass Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam and Philippines, leading to Indonesia's first-ever qualification for the World Cup final qualifying round and their sixth overall (second consecutive) AFC Asian Cup qualification. Asnawi also garnered attention during a friendly match against Argentina, which Indonesia lost 0-2, for his persistent marking and tackling of Alejandro Garnacho throughout the game.

6.1. Club Honours

• PSM Makassar
  • Piala Indonesia: 2018-19
  • Liga 1 Runner-up: 2018
  • Liga 1 Third place: 2017
• SSB Hasanuddin FC
  • Aqua-Danone Nations Cup National Competition: 2011
  • Aqua-Danone Nations Cup National Competition: Third Place 2010
  • Aqua-Danone Nations Cup World Competition: 33rd Place 2011 (Spain)

6.2. International Honours

• Indonesia U-16
  • AFF U-16 Youth Championship Runner-up: 2013
• Indonesia U-19
  • AFF U-19 Youth Championship Third place: 2017, 2018
• Indonesia U-23
  • AFF U-22 Youth Championship: 2019
  • Southeast Asian Games Silver Medal: 2019
  • Southeast Asian Games Bronze Medal: 2017, 2021
• Indonesia
  • AFF Championship Runner-up: 2020
  • AFF Championship Semifinals: 2022

6.3. Individual Honours

• Piala Indonesia Best Young Player: 2018-19
• Liga 1 Team of the Season: 2019
• Indonesian Soccer Awards: Favorite Young Footballer 2019
• K League 2 Player of the Month: April 2021

7.1. Club Statistics

7.2. International Statistics