The Struggle Of The Indonesian National Team In The 2026 World Cup Qualification, Observers: Saudi Arabia's Non-technical Factors Are The Toughest

Football observer, Tommy Welly, emphasized Saudi Arabia's non-technical factors so that the Indonesian national team is vigilant (doc. Special).

JAKARTA - The Indonesian national team will resume their struggle in the 2026 World Cup Qualification against Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Group B of the Fourth Round. Regarding this agenda, football observer Tommy Welly considered that the Garuda Squad would face a tough test.

Ahead of the agenda which took place in October 2025, Bung Towel highlighted two things, his nickname. First, about Ole Romeny's injury, which obviously lost a lot.

You see, the three-goal scorer in the previous four matches has individual finishing skills and quality that have not been replaced in the squad.

"Then question marks about the flight hours of the diaspora players, who are still uncertain about which clubs are joining this season. So, it can have an impact on fitness and playing rhythm," he said, quoted from the YouTube channel, Gocek Bung Towel, Thursday, July 25, 2025.

However, Towel stressed that this challenge should not undermine expectations. He believes coaching teams under Patrick Kluivert still have time, including FIFA Match Day in September 2025 against Kuwait and Lebanon, to find a solution so as not to rely on one or two key players.

Towel also highlighted challenges from an external perspective that could potentially disrupt the fairness of the match. First, the advantages of Saudi Arabia's schedule playing on October 8 and 14, 2025, give them five days of rest.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian national team only has two days of recovery between matches 8 and 11 October 2025.

"The difference in match hours is also detrimental to Indonesia. The match against Saudi Arabia was held at 20.15, while against Iraq was only three days later and started earlier in the afternoon at 18.00. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia got more free time before competing again at 22.30 (local time)," he said.

Therefore, Towel had previously advised PSSI to send an official letter to AFC to question the schedule gap and kick-off time that could potentially lead to injustice.

Fortunately, PSSI did what Bung Towel wanted. The latest news, AFC expressed it was willing to change the match schedule to 22.30 local time against Iraq.

Furthermore, Towel highlighted the influence of Saudi Arabia's money in world football. Starting from the appointment to host the 2034 World Cup without in-depth studies to the purchase of broadcasting rights for the Club World Cup worth IDR 16.2 trillion. Not to mention the dominance of sponsors, such as Aramco, Riyadh Airways, and Saudi Vision.

He reminded that these external factors could increase the struggle of the Indonesian national team non-technically.

Although Indonesia's position as the underdog in Group B and not ideal, Towel still gave appreciation to coach team Patrick Kluivert and Alex Pastoor for their seriousness in being directly involved in the Indonesian football ecosystem, including watching the 2025 AFF U-23 Cup and local club matches.

"Although the opponents of Saudi Arabia and Iraq are very difficult, the struggle of the Indonesian national team must be total".

"Saudi Arabia is growing rapidly, but Indonesia also has potential. If you want to qualify, the Indonesian national team must win absolutely through football strategy and quality."

"As in boxing, you have to win by knockout, don't just win points or split decisions," said Towel.