Chinese team continues to act strangely in Indonesia, coach makes shocking statement: 'We can even beat Brazil'

The decisive match between Indonesia and China in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers round 3, taking place at 8:45 p.m. on June 5, is becoming extremely heated due to the related actions between the two teams in Jakarta.

Indonesian newspaper criticizes China coach Branko Ivankovic for being arrogant

CNN Indonesia reported that coach Branko Ivankovic reacted harshly when answering difficult questions from the Indonesian media, especially about the results of the upcoming match between the Chinese team and the Indonesian team.

China coach Branko Ivankovic shocks Indonesian press and is criticized for being arrogant

Photo: Reuters

"We can beat the whole Brazilian team, not just the Indonesian team," the Croatian strategist of the Chinese team strongly expressed to Indonesian reporters upon arriving in Jakarta on June 2.

"As a coach, I am always optimistic about winning, against any opponent, whether it is Indonesia or Brazil. If I don't think about winning, why would I be a coach?", coach Branko Ivankovic emphasized.

"Coach Branko Ivankovic's reaction is actually normal. Coaches of other teams will also express the same opinion to all questions from the opposing team's media before each match.

However, this somewhat too drastic and harsh reaction of the Chinese team coach received some mixed reactions, in which many people said that, although this strategist responded with an optimistic comment, it could also be considered an arrogance, intentionally demeaning the Indonesian team," CNN Indonesia said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian press also assessed that the Chinese team is under great pressure. Their coach, Mr. Branko Ivankovic, used strong words, showing that the pressure to win the remaining two matches against Indonesia (June 5) and Bahrain (June 10) is extremely high.

"The Chinese team must beat Indonesia to maintain hope in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. If they lose, they will be eliminated immediately," CNN Indonesia affirmed.

Chinese team practices in private, players walk to breathe fresh air to relieve stress

On June 3, the Chinese team had a closed training session at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, under tight security, banning all Indonesian reporters and media agencies from appearing. Meanwhile, the Indonesian team also arrived in Jakarta from Bali, where they have been training for the past 2 weeks.

Despite being the home team, the Indonesian team took the initiative to practice at the Madya secondary field in Senayan, leaving the main field to their opponents. However, on June 4, one day before the match, coach Kluivert's team will have a familiarization session at the home field Gelora Bung Karno. Like their opponents, the Indonesian team banned the Chinese media.

According to China's 163.com , since arriving in Jakarta, in addition to closed training sessions, the rest of the players after each meal have focused on walking to breathe fresh air. This is considered a therapy that psychological experts are applying to Chinese players, to help them reduce stress before the match, CNN Indonesia reported.

The Indonesian team (in red) is determined to defeat the Chinese team to maintain their hope of getting a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Photo: Reuters

This is also reflected in the statement of player Hu Hetao on 163.com : "Psychologists suggest that we should walk a lot around the hotel. This is also an equally important preparation. For the match against the Indonesian team, we will focus on ourselves. Now we have to maintain a comfortable mental state. We have to adjust. Going out for a walk is also a way to adapt to the local weather."

Hu Hetao also said: "Certainly, the Chinese team will face great pressure from the stands with tens of thousands of enthusiastic home fans. Therefore, we need to stay alert. Hopefully, there will also be many Chinese fans coming to support us."

Both Indonesia and China desperately need a win in the upcoming match to maintain their hopes in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, at least the chance to advance to the fourth qualifying round. A draw would leave both teams disappointed, as their chances of advancing would be significantly narrowed. Therefore, this is a match that must determine the winner and the loser, CNN Indonesia emphasized.

In Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifying round 3 in Asia before the last 2 matches in June, the Indonesian team is ranked 4th with 9 points, 1 point behind Saudi Arabia (3rd place) and 4 points behind Australia (2nd place). The Japanese team leads the group with 20 points and has won a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, the 2 bottom teams, Bahrain and China, both have 6 points.

In the upcoming competition, the Indonesian team will play two matches, including against the Chinese team (home, at 8:45 p.m. on June 5) and the Japanese team (away, at 5:35 p.m. on June 10). The Chinese team will meet the Indonesian team, then return home to face the Bahrain team at 6:00 p.m. on June 10.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-trung-quoc-tiep-tuc-hanh-dong-la-tai-indonesia-hlv-tuyen-bo-soc-chung-toi-co-the-thang-ca-brazil-185250604102619895.htm