Indonesian fans embarrassed after losing to Australia

Many Indonesian fans expressed disappointment and shame at the national team's poor performance on the afternoon of March 20.

Many Indonesian fans came to Australia to cheer on their team.

Indonesian netizens were unhappy after the heavy 1-5 loss to Australia in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers. In Sydney, "Garuda" suffered a heavy defeat against the home team.

"So embarrassing," one Indonesian fan wrote on social media. "My fears came true. Changing the coach midway, having to start over, adapting to new tactics, and then losing badly. I wonder how PSSI will explain this," another fan exclaimed.

At the Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Indonesian fans expressed their regret for coach Shin Tae-yong, who was fired by the Indonesian Football Federation. After the match, while the players walked towards the Indonesian fan area to wave goodbye, the fans shouted "Shin Tae-yong", proving that they still love the Korean strategist.

Also right after the defeat against Australia, the hashtag "KluivertOut" immediately appeared on X. Fans strongly criticized coach Kluivert, claiming that this coach ruined all the work coach Shin Tae-yong built for Indonesian football.

The heavy defeat in Australia also made many fans question Indonesia's ability to go far in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Some fans felt that their dream of participating in the biggest football festival on the planet was gradually fading away.

However, there are also opinions that the defeat against Australia is not the "end of the world" for Indonesia. "There is still a chance, this is only the first match of the new coach," a fan named Ronnan optimistically said.

Losing to Australia caused Indonesia to fall to 4th place in Group C. Coach Patrick Kluivert and his students still have a chance to correct their mistakes and aim for the 2026 World Cup. If they cannot get a direct ticket, "Garuda" still has to make an effort to enter the fourth qualifying round, thereby competing for a play-off spot.