Coach Kluivert makes a strong statement about Indonesia's opponents

(Dan Tri) - Although admitting that Iraq and Saudi Arabia are strong opponents, coach Patrick Kluivert still affirms that Indonesia is not afraid of any team.

The draw for the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup took place at noon on July 17 at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Accordingly, Indonesia is in Group B with opponents Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Group A sees the competition between Qatar, UAE and Oman. The matches will be held in Qatar and Saudi Arabia from October 8 to October 14.

Indonesia won a resounding victory over Saudi Arabia in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup (Photo: AFC).

These are the opponents who faced the Indonesian team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In the second qualifying round, Garuda (the nickname of the Indonesian team) faced Iraq twice and lost both times with scores of 1-5 and 0-2.

In the third qualifying round, Indonesia faced Saudi Arabia. The result was more positive when coach Kluivert and his team won one match and drew one match against the West Asian opponent. However, the situation in the fourth qualifying round will be completely different when Saudi Arabia plays the role of host, creating more disadvantages for Indonesia.

However, coach Patrick Kluivert is still confident. He affirmed that Indonesia is not afraid of any opponent: "For me, the draw is just a formality. Both opponents in the same group are strong teams and we have experience facing them. The most important thing now is to prepare well, analyze their playing style carefully and be ready for the decisive matches."

Coach Kluivert affirmed that Indonesia is not afraid of any opponent (Photo: AFC).

The Dutch strategist expressed his determination to help the Indonesian team play at their best. He emphasized that the whole team, especially key players like Jay Idzes, will be trained thoroughly to aim for the goal of winning a ticket to the World Cup finals.

Coach Kluivert added: “My plan is to prepare the team thoroughly and analyze in detail the playing style of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. We will study their tactical systems and at the same time build our own tactics to confront them. The goal is to compete to achieve the best results.”

To qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Indonesia needs to top Group B. Only the group winners will qualify directly for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The second-placed teams in each group will meet in the fifth qualifying round, to determine the Asian team that will advance to the Intercontinental Play-offs.

Results of the 2026 World Cup fourth qualifying round draw (Photo: AFC).

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-kluivert-tuyen-bo-danh-thep-ve-cac-doi-thu-cua-indonesia-20250717223308023.htm