Patrick Kluivert Considers The Match Against Saudi Arabia A Final

The Indonesian national team had to go all out in the Fourth Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification (VOI/Karisa Aurelia Tukan).

JAKARTA - The coach of the Indonesian national team, Patrick Kluivert, will make maximum efforts when his squad faces Saudi Arabia. Kluivert even called the 2026 World Cup Qualification Fourth Round match a final match.

The meeting with Saudi Arabia is a Group B match that will take place at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Jeddah, on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 00.15 WIB. Was an important match in the fight for tickets to the 2026 World Cup, Kluiver asked his team to give everything they could.

"We consider this match a final. We will do whatever it takes to get a positive result. We have confidence that we will appear strong," Patrick Kluivert said at a press conference before the match, quoted Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

To deal with Saudi Arabia, Kluivert has shown 29 players consisting of Super League players to players who appear in various foreign clubs.

Although the players who play abroad, especially in Europe, come together, Kluiver doesn't mind that because he is used to dealing with situations like this.

"We don't have any worries about this match. I have full trust in my team. We are used to playing in an atmosphere like this," said the Dutchman.

Meanwhile, in the match, the Indonesian national team will be confirmed without Emil Audero who is performing well with his club, Cremonese, in Serie A this season.

Emil was confirmed absent from defending the Garuda Squad against Saudi Arabia and Iraq due to his injury while defending Cremonese against Como late last month.

Regarding Emil's absence, Kluivert admitted that his team had lost quite a bit. However, he is not too worried because the Garuda Team has four other quality goalkeepers, such as Maarten Paes, Nadeo Argawinata, Ernando Ari, and Reza Arya.

"The goalkeeper's attention does have an effect. However, we have the right replacement," he said.

After the match against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia will face Iraq on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at 02.30 WIB, at King Abdullah Sport City.

In this round, only the group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup. The second-placed team will play the next qualifying round in the fifth round, while the third-finals will fall.