Indonesia's strength was depleted due to injuries and the flu virus, leading to having to send three more players to Vietnam before the match in round four of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Indonesia will certainly be without midfielder Marc Klok and goalkeeper Nadeo Argawinata due to injuries that cannot be recovered in time. Meanwhile, defender Sandy Walsh was suspended for receiving two yellow cards in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Coach Shin Tae-yong had to summon goalkeeper Ernando Ari, defender Muhammad Ferrari and midfielder Rachmat Irianto, of whom Ari and Irianto had just recovered from injuries. The Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) arranged a flight for goalkeeper Ari to be in Hanoi last night, March 23, while Ferrari and Irianto met this afternoon.
Midfielder Muhammad Ferrari of the Indonesian team. Photo: Bola
Goalkeeper Ari started in the 1-0 win over Vietnam in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup. Rachmat Irianto is a versatile player who can play defensive midfielder, center back and left back, and compete fiercely. Meanwhile, Ferrari is a young midfielder who scored a header to increase the score to 2-1 in Indonesia's 3-2 win over Vietnam in the 32nd SEA Games semi-finals.
In addition to injuries, Indonesia also faced a flu epidemic that caused some players to have fever. "The condition of the players is not good, some are quite serious," coach Shin Tae-yong said. "I don't know what virus it is, but there are many cases in Indonesia."
Previously, PSSI confirmed that at least five players had fever before going to Vietnam. Therefore, the team is required to wear masks when traveling to the airport. The team also felt more comfortable when they boarded a plane chartered by PSSI to reduce travel time and limit contact with outsiders.
Indonesia practiced at My Dinh side yard on the evening of March 23. Photo: PSSI
Indonesia had a practice session last night at My Dinh side yard, mainly to recover and improve physical fitness. The team will practice intensely tonight to prepare for the rematch on March 26.
Indonesia is full of confidence after winning two consecutive matches with a score of 1-0 against Vietnam. The team aims to win at least one point at My Dinh to maintain their advantage, having four points in Group F of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and one point ahead of Vietnam.
Indonesia's force is also supplemented with two newly naturalized quality players, Thom Haye and Ragnar Oratmagoen.
Hieu Luong
