Indonesian team suffers big loss before World Cup ticket match

(Dan Tri) - Many key players of the Indonesian team were injured and could not participate with the home team in the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia against two opponents, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

The Indonesian team will face Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. These matches will take place on October 9 and October 12 in Saudi Arabia.

These are all crucial matches for a place in the 2026 World Cup finals in the US, Canada and Mexico. To qualify, Indonesia must top their group. If they don’t, they must at least finish second to qualify for the fifth qualifying round, the play-off round.

The Indonesian team lost two key goalkeepers right before the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia (Photo: CNN Indonesia).

However, many of the pillars of the archipelago team have been injured and are likely to be unable to play. According to CNN Indonesia, the first person likely to be absent is goalkeeper Maarten Paes when he was injured in August.

Initially, it was reported that Paes had suffered a minor injury and would only need two weeks of rest. However, as of the end of September, Paes was still not on the roster of his parent club FC Dallas. The good news is that Paes has returned to training with Dallas, but the possibility of him being called up to the national team is not high.

Another Indonesian star who is likely to be absent and in the goalkeeper position is Emil Audero Mulyadi (who is playing for Cremonese in Serie A this season). The 28-year-old goalkeeper has impressed with countless saves, earning him the nickname "king of saves" in Italy's top league.

However, before the match against Parma, Emil suffered an injury during the pre-match warm-up and was left out of the starting lineup. Although the Cremonese coach confirmed that the goalkeeper only suffered a minor injury, the possibility of him being called up to the Indonesian team is very slim.

Another key player of the Indonesian national team is injured, defender Sandy Walsh, just a few days before coach Patrick Kluivert called up the squad to prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Sandy started in Buriram United's match against FC Seoul in the AFC Champions League Elite Qualifiers on September 30. However, Sandy suffered an injury in the 19th minute and had to leave the field shortly after. Buriram United have yet to make an official statement on Sandy's injury.

"It's very difficult, I have to admit it will be very difficult. We have played against Iraq many times, and it's always difficult. The same with Saudi Arabia, especially when they play at home with the enthusiastic cheers of the fans. Maybe that's an advantage for them, but we are coming here with confidence," defender Marc Klok said ahead of the two crucial matches for the home team.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/doi-tuyen-indonesia-ton-that-lon-truoc-tran-dau-tranh-ve-du-world-cup-20251001170756306.htm