Indonesia and head coach Patrick Kluivert are far from their first-ever participation in the World Cup. The country lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in the crucial World Cup qualifying phase.
Kluivert said in the lead-up to the match that he had no fear of the intimidating atmosphere in the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, which was sold out with more than sixty thousand spectators. That confident attitude rubbed off on his team in the opening phase.
Indonesia took the lead after eleven minutes with a well-placed penalty from former Feyenoord player and former Vitesse player Kevin Diks. The penalty was only awarded after a VAR intervention. The referee looked at the screen for minutes before he ruled a handball.
The joy for Indonesia was short-lived. Saudi Arabia turned the deficit around before half-time. After an hour of play, the home team even increased the margin to two.
Kevin Diks converted another penalty just before time, but Indonesia’s connecting goal came too late. A red card for Saudi Arabia in extra time (Mohamed Kanno received his second yellow card within a minute for talking) did not change that.
Indonesia must not lose to Iraq
The defeat is a major setback for Kluivert and Indonesia. The country is playing in a mini-competition with Saudi Arabia and Iraq for one direct World Cup ticket. The number two gets a second chance via the play-offs and the number three can forget World Cup qualification.
Indonesia no longer has World Cup qualification in its own hands. Only if Saudi Arabia loses to Iraq on Tuesday can the country still qualify directly for next year’s World Cup. In the event of an equal number of points, the goal difference is decisive.
Then Indonesia must win against Iraq on Saturday. A defeat against the Iraqis would mean the end of Indonesia’s World Cup dream. Former top striker Kluivert was appointed specifically for the World Cup mission.
Indonesia has also attracted many players from the Netherlands to complete the World Cup mission. Against Saudi Arabia, no fewer than eight players with Dutch roots were in the starting line-up, including Maarten Paes, Joey Pelupessy and Dean James.