Kluivert Confident in Indonesia's Chances Against Australia Despite Limited Training

Indonesia coach Patrick Kluivert is confident his team is ready to take on Australia in their World Cup qualifier, despite limited training time. Captain Jay Idzes says the team is emotionally invested in representing Indonesia and its 280 million people.

Patrick Kluivert, Indonesia's new coach, has expressed confidence in his team's readiness to face Australia in Thursday's World Cup qualifier, despite having limited time to work with the squad. Kluivert, a former Netherlands and Barcelona striker, took over as coach in January and has had only a couple of training sessions with the team.

Indonesia's mission is to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1938, and Thursday's clash in Sydney could be a crucial step towards achieving that goal. Kluivert acknowledged that many of his players have been traveling from their European clubs, leaving limited time to implement his ideas. However, he remains optimistic about the team's chances.

When asked about his strategy, Kluivert hinted that some changes would be made, but he refused to reveal too much. “Changing is impossible at the moment,” he told reporters at Sydney Football Stadium on Wednesday. “But of course, there are things I don't just explain here, but there will be some, some things change, but that's between us.”

Kluivert expressed confidence in his team's preparedness, stating, ”I think the team is ready. They know what we expect tomorrow, so we look forward to playing the match.” With Indonesia seeking their first win over Australia since 1981, Kluivert's team will be eager to prove themselves in Thursday's qualifier.

Patrick Kluivert took the reins of an Indonesia squad boasting players from the Indonesian diaspora, many of whom were born in the Netherlands and compete at a high level in Europe.

The team has already demonstrated its capabilities, earning a 0-0 draw against Australia and a 2-0 home win over Saudi Arabia last year. Currently, Indonesia stands just a point behind second-placed Australia in Group C. The top two teams will secure direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup finals.

Pelatih kepala timnas Indonesia, Patrick Kluivert, Alex Pastoor, Gerald Vanenburg, beserta jajaran staff kepelatihan lainnya sedang meracik dan mempersiapkan strategi terbaik mereka untuk menghadapi Australia!

Mari kita dukung seluruh jajaran kepelatihan timnas Indonesia, guys! pic.twitter.com/esD6mXhRRv

— The Footballicious © (@footballicious) March 19, 2025

Dutch-born captain Jay Idzes expressed his confidence in Indonesia's growing presence in international football. “I think we showed already the last year, maybe a little bit more, that Indonesia is a country that has to be dealt with,” Idzes said. He added, ”Hopefully, and I truly believe it, in the next years we can really put Indonesia on the map.”

Since their appointments, Patrick Kluivert and his assistants, including former Barcelona forward Jordi Cruyff, have been actively engaging with the team. They have traveled throughout Indonesia and visited their Europe-based players to “share their philosophy.” Kluivert expressed his satisfaction with the team's quality, stating, “I'm very happy about the quality that we have in the group. Everything can be better.”

Despite limited training time, Kluivert remains optimistic about his team's chances. “We didn't have many times to train, but I've still got a very good feeling about my team, about the players individually, and we will see tomorrow,” he said.

Captain Jay Idzes dismissed any notion that players from the diaspora might not be as emotionally invested in Indonesian football as local players. “We speak between the players about what this game means to us, and I'm not expecting anything else than our absolute best tomorrow,” said the Venezia centre-half. Idzes emphasized the significance of representing Indonesia, stating, ”It's really important that everybody understands that we're fighting and representing our country, 280 million people are on our backs.”

Idzes also shared his personal perspective on the pressure of representing Indonesia. “For me, personally, I don't feel the extra pressure. I just feel the extra support from everybody,” he said.