How Will Kluivert Select Players to Face Saudi Arabia and Iraq?

1. What are Kluivert's considerations in selecting players?

The lineup chosen by Kluivert is almost the same as when facing Taiwan and Lebanon. This indicates his vision to maintain team cohesion. However, there are some changes, such as the exclusion of Marselino Ferdinan, the key goal scorer against Saudi Arabia in the third round.

The exclusion of Marselino has sparked both support and opposition. On one hand, he is considered to have underperformed in the last two friendly matches. A lack of playing time at the club is suspected to be the cause of his declining performance and sharpness.

In addition to Marselino, Adrian Wibowo was also dropped. Conversely, Kluivert maintains his trust in Miliano Jonathans, who is capable of penetrating the opponent's defense from the right wing. The selection of these players emphasizes that current performance is the main determining factor.

Kluivert also utilized the friendly match to implement a four-defender system. This system differs from the three-defender system often employed by Shin Tae-yong. The players called up to face Saudi Arabia and Iraq have at least experienced playing under Kluivert's four-defender system, albeit in just two matches.

The case of Mees Hilgers reinforces the reasons behind that "safe" choice. The FC Twente player had been called up previously but failed to join due to transfer issues. Hilgers' absence caused him to miss the opportunity to adapt to the four-defender system, leading Kluivert to decide against forcing his recall.

In the attacking line, Mauro Zijlstra is retained despite not having scored against Taiwan and Lebanon. Zijlstra adds depth to the attack, which is already filled by Ramadhan Sananta and Ole Romeny. He will be a starting player if Romeny has not recovered from injury.

2. Which players did Kluivert call up?

List of Indonesian national team players for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification

Goalkeeper

Maarten Vincent Paes - Dallas FC

Emil Audero Mulyadi - US Cremonese

Ernando Ari Sutaryadi - Persebaya Surabaya

Defender

Justin Quincy Hubner - Fortuna Sittard

Jay Noah Idzes - US Sassuolo Calcio

Rizky Ridho Ramadhani - Persija Jakarta

Jordi Amat Maas - Persija Jakarta

Kevin Diks Bakarbessy - Borussia Monchengladbach

Wingback

Shayne Elian Jay Pattynama - Buriram United

Eliano Johannes Reijnders - Persib Bandung

Yance Sayuri - Malut United

Sandy Henny Walsh - Buriram United

Calvin Ronald Verdonk - LOSC Lille

Dean Ruben James - Go Ahead Eagles

Midfielder

Nathan Noel Romejo Tjoe-A-On - Willem II

Thom Jan Marinus Haye - Persib Bandung

Joey Mathijs Pelupessy - Lommel SK

Marc Anthony Klok - Persib Bandung

Ricky Richardo Kambuaya - Dewa United

Stefano Jantje Lilipaly - Dewa United

Beckham Putra Nugraha - Persib Bandung

Attacker

Ole Lennard Ten Haar Romenij - Oxford United

Mauro Nils Zjilstra - FC Volendam

Muhammad Ramadhan Sananta - DPMM FC

Ragnar Anthonius Maria Oeratmangoen - FC Dender

Miliano Jonathans - FC Utrecht

Egy Maulana Vikri - Dewa United

Yakob Sayuri - Malut United

3. How did the four national team players perform in Europe's top leagues?

As the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers approaches against Saudi Arabia and Iraq, a quartet of Indonesian national team players has been dazzling in top European leagues. They are Jay Idzes, Emil Audero, Calvin Verdonk, and Kevin Diks. This positive development serves as an important asset for Kluivert.

Jay Idzes continues to establish himself as a modern center-back at Sassuolo. Although his team suffered a defeat against Inter Milan, Jay's individual performance was highly notable. His statistics recorded an 89% passing accuracy. As a defender, he has a record of 9 clearances, 6 ball recoveries, 4 duels won, and 1 last-man tackle.

Goalkeeper Emil Audero also delivered his best performance with Cremonese. He managed to record two consecutive matches without conceding a goal in Serie A. Emil admitted that his solid performance with the "Garuda" team has a positive impact on his confidence at the club.

Calvin Verdonk made his debut for Lille OSC in Ligue 1 France. Although his team lost, Calvin's performance received praise for his quick adaptation. He achieved a score of 7.2, which was the highest in his team for that match, with a record of 79 percent accurate passes, 9 ball recoveries, 6 duels won, 1 blocked opponent's shot, and 1 chance created.

Meanwhile, Kevin Diks' role is irreplaceable for Borussia Muenchengladbach in the German League. He consistently appears as a key player in the three-defender formation and actively contributes to the attack. His significant role in the backline of the Bundesliga club will undoubtedly strengthen the national team's defense.

4. How do you evaluate the national team after the friendly matches against Taiwan and Lebanon?

The 0-0 draw of the Indonesian national team against Lebanon (FIFA rank 118) in a friendly match at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya, leaves lingering doubts. Previously, the "Garuda" team achieved a resounding victory of 6-0 against Taiwan (FIFA rank 172) at the same venue. These two contrasting results indicate that the national team has yet to demonstrate consistency.

The significant victory over Taiwan demonstrates the potential for lethal attacks. However, the quality of the opponent, which is far below that of Indonesia, has not made the outcome of the match an accurate parameter.

Meanwhile, the match against Lebanon provided valuable lessons. Lebanon displayed a very solid and disciplined defense that left the national team exhausted in their attempts to attack or create opportunities.

Both of these friendly matches were without striker Ole Romeny, who is currently recovering from an injury. Without Romeny, the national team's front line appeared blunt. Kluivert positioned Mauro Zijlstra as Romeny's replacement, but this substitution did not meet expectations, resulting in only one shot on target. Another striker, Ramadhan Sananta, fared similarly. They have yet to fill Romeny's role.

The national team's dependence on Romeny is very detrimental in the matches against Saudi Arabia (ranked 59th by FIFA) and Iraq (ranked 58th by FIFA). Kluivert must find an effective formula to address this weakness. The national team should not rely solely on attacks from the right wing and crossing passes as their main strategy. This situation is exacerbated by the poor accuracy of the Garuda squad's crossing passes.