The New Era Of The Indonesian National Team Under Patrick Kluiver Brings Concerns To Australia

Patrick Kluivert brings his own concerns for Australia who will host the Indonesian national team in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers (doc. PSSI).

JAKARTA - The appointment of Patrick Kluivert as coach of the Indonesian National Team may have made unexpected changes in preparations for the 2026 World Cup Qualification.

Nearby, the Garuda Squad will travel to Australia headquarters on March 20, 2025. Socceroos manager Tony Popovic believes his team will be able to adjust and prepare for the Dutch coach who is now in control of the Indonesian national team.

PSSI surprised the public when they fired coach Shin Tae-yong in early January 2025.

"We see the need for a leader who is better able to implement the strategy agreed upon by the players and who has better communication," said PSSI General Chair Erick Thohir, at the time.

This happened even though the South Korean coach lifted Indonesia to the knockout phase of the 2023 Asian Cup in early 2024 for the first time in history.

Not only that, Shin Tae-yong also brought the Garuda Squad to its first appearance in the Third Round of World Cup Qualifiers in history.

Shin Tae-yong juga jadi orang di balik kemenangan bersejarah 2-0 atas Arab Saudi pada November 2024, pertama kali dalam catatan pertemuan.

Kluivert was appointed as Shin Tae-yong's successor, signing a two-year contract with the option of an extension. He appointed former Eredivisie flagship player, Denny Landzaat, and former Sparta Rotterdam boss Alex Pastoor, as assistants.

In terms of playing, Popovic has a history with Kluivers. The Dutchman scored against Crystal Palace while playing for Newcastle United during the 2004/2005 Premier League season.

Kluivert has also spent part of its early years in Australia, serving as assistant to Tottenham Hotspur's current assistant boss, Ange Postecoglou, at Brisbane Rour in 2010.

Apart from two relatively successful tenures when dealing with the Curacao National Team and 20 matches with the Turkish club, Adana Demirspor, the new Indonesian coach mostly works as an assistant and at the academy. Thus, Popovic only had a little material to analyze ahead of the match in March 2025.

"We'll see the history of his coaching. (Kluivert) has recently been the head coach, but we've seen the game structure."

"He was in Turkey, he was in Curacao, and we saw him playing a five-back formation (with Curacao). In Turkey, he played a four-back formation."

"(Shin Tae-yong) plays a five-back formation in Indonesia. Assistant coach (Kluivert), (Alex Pastoor) always plays a three-back formation at the club he trains."

"Whatever it is, we will analyze it. We have to respect the opponent. We have to be ready to face any way of playing."

"How they want to build and how they want to survive. We focus on the game to make it better.

"We have to strengthen some of the principles and foundations we are trying to implement in October and November 2024 because there is a hiatus for four months."

"However, I am sure the players will look forward to coming to the camp and playing an important opportunity in these two matches. I am sure they are as happy as us, as staff," said the Socceroos coach.

What also added to the surprise of Shin Tae-yong's dismissal, the Indonesian national team will head to Sydney in March 2025 with a difference of one point behind Socceros who are in second place in Group C.

The home match against Bahrain and the upcoming China puts the Garuda Squad in good position to try to reach third or fourth place which will take them to the Fourth Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

With Popovic's eyes focused on early tickets to the 2026 World Cup which means having to finish in the top two, six points from the match against the Indonesian national team and away to China will be very important for Socceroos.

You see, Australia will carry out a tough task at home against Japan and travel to Saudi Arabia in the last two qualifying matches in June 2025.

"Is it an important game? Yes, every game is an important game for Socceroos."

"My first match against China is an important match. The next two matches, Indonesia, first of all, are very important."

"Our goal is to get to the top two positions. To do that, we need to get a positive result."

"We are in a good position and it's up to us to stay there. We need to have a high focus, high mentality, and high performance."

"The dreams we have to qualify automatically, we can make it happen. However, this is a game after a game."

"I know it's a clich, but you have to respect your opponent. Indonesia has so far shown how good they are."

"However, we have to believe, playing in front of our fans. We can produce the quality we know we can do. We have to really aim and work hard for those three points," Popovic said again.