Many Indonesian National Team Players Have Fever After Entertaining Vietnam

The Indonesian national team will play their second match against Vietnam (doc. PSSI).

JAKARTA - Bad news enveloped the Indonesian national team after a narrow 1-0 victory over Vietnam at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

The day after the 2026 World Cup Qualification match, a number of players were hit by fever. Call it Rafael Struick, Ivar Jenner, Nadeo Argawinata, Muhammad Riyandi, and Sandy Walsh.

This situation cast doubt on whether they could appear against Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, on March 26, 2024. You see, they were still not fit when they left for Hanoi on March 23, 2024.

Rumors circulated that the illness of the Indonesian national team players was due to frequent meeting fans.

However, this issue was immediately denied by PSSI Executive Committee Member Arya Sinulingga. In his statement on Saturday, March 23, 2024, he explained that the factors of the players were sick due to the weather.

"It is true that there are some flu players, but there are also those who have accumulated yellow cards."

"So, regarding the fever, the issue is because (meeting) fans and so on, it's not (true). Why? The players usually go through the hotel, there is our SOP (standard operating procedure)."

"They immediately took a shower, especially after training. Not because of their fans, so they have a fever. Don't make issues like that, it's not true like that too."

"If we see any changes in the weather. Such a situation makes them have a fever. Don't be shocked."

"Hopefully they will recover quickly so that the players with fever can play againstvietnam," said Arya Sinulingga.

The Indonesian national team will have a second meeting against Vietnam, aka the fourth match of the second round of Group F of the 2026 Asian Zone World Cup Qualification.

The Garuda squad is now in second place in Group F with four points from three matches.