How is the Condition of the Indonesian National Team Ahead of Facing China?

The Indonesian squad is highly motivated and harmonious. What is it like?

Emil Audero, the Indonesian goalkeeper who plays for the Italian club Palermo, has observed a significant improvement in both individual player development and team cohesion compared to the match against Bahrain last March. The former Juventus goalkeeper is eager to make an appearance at GBK.

He is projected to make his full debut for Indonesia against China. He is the first choice for the goalkeeper position as Maarten Paes is confirmed to be unavailable due to a yellow card accumulation suspension.

"I also wear a bracelet from Mataram (West Nusa Tenggara), my birthplace. This is a form of my love and pride in playing for the Indonesian national team," said Emil, showing the red bracelet on his right wrist before training last Monday.

The improved condition of the squad was also felt by the General Chair of PSSI, Erick Thohir, who observed the training. While present at the Madya Stadium, Erick was accompanied by the Head of Talent Scouting for the Indonesian National Team, Simon Tahamata, and the former coach of the Indonesian U-20 team, Indra Sjafri.

In addition to the three individuals, PSSI's technical advisor, Jordi Cruyff, was also present. He had a conversation with Kluivert before the training session began at around 18:15 WIB.

"In Bali, the players have ample time for joint training and recovery after a long season. I see that the chemistry among the players has developed, so we just need to see the results (against China)," said Erick.

"The activities in Bali are part of team development. We can see the aura of togetherness among the players that I have never seen before. This is because, until now, they have only gathered one or two days before playing," he said subsequently.

Why is Indonesia threatened with a right-back crisis against China? What is the solution?

Although his team is in a conducive situation, Kluivert is troubled by two tactical issues that must be addressed due to the crisis of key players ahead of the match against China.

Up front, the absence of Marselino Ferdinan due to accumulation of yellow cards and Ragnar Oratmangoen due to injury has forced Kluivert to find a suitable replacement. Not only suitable, the substitution duo of Marselino and Ragnar must also quickly adjust with Ole Romeny who plays as the main spearhead.

The latest crisis has emerged for the right-wing wingback position. The primary choice, Kevin Diks, has just completed his final season with FC Copenhagen. Diks secured the Danish League Cup trophy early on Friday (30/5/2025) WIB.

The player who will join Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany next season immediately joined the squad in Jakarta as of Sunday (1/6/2025). Given this situation, Diks faces a high risk regarding fitness if he plays directly against China.

The two strong candidates to replace Diks, namely Sandy Walsh and Eliano Reijnders, also cannot join the "Garuda" squad this June for different reasons. Sandy is sidelined due to an injury sustained in a Japanese league match, while Eliano has requested permission not to join the team to accompany his wife during the birth of their second child.

Without Sandy and Eliano, as well as Diks who is not in optimal condition, local players become the best option to fill the right-back position in the match against China. Asnawi Mangkualam, Yance Sayuri, and Yakob Sayuri could be options for Kluivert to occupy the right wing-back position in the 3-4-2-1 formation.

"We (the coaching team) will make adjustments to the squad. We remain optimistic about the strength of the available team," said Kluivert in a press statement.

Which players did Kluivert call up against China?

Indonesian coach Patrick Kluivert has called up 32 players for a training camp ahead of the final two matches of the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, only 23 players will be included in the match roster for those games.

In preparation for facing China in Jakarta on June 5 and Japan in Osaka on June 10, Kluivert has summoned an average of five players for each position, including goalkeeper, central defender, right wing-back, left wing-back, central midfielder, and forward. A total of 18 diaspora players from the 19 available names have been called up. Only Ragnar Oratmangoen is absent due to injury.

In addition to the key diaspora players, Kluivert also included three local players who are pursuing careers abroad, namely Marselino Ferdinan (Oxford United); Pratama Arhan (Bangkok United); and "the lost child," Asnawi Mangkualam (Port FC), who was not included in the squad for the match in March 2025.

The Dutch coach has called up 11 players who are active in the BRI Liga 1 Indonesia 2024-2025. They are the trio of goalkeepers Ernando Ari (Persebaya Surabaya), Reza Arya Pratama (PSM Makassar), and Nadeo Argawinata (Borneo FC); center-back Rizky Ridho (Persija Jakarta); midfielder Ricky Kambuaya (Dewa United); wingers Yance and Yakob Sayuri (Malut United); as well as forwards Septian Bagaskara and Egi Maulana Vikri (Dewa United), Stefano Lilipaly (Borneo FC), and Ramadhan Sananta (Persis Solo).

In the defensive position, five players called up by Kluivert are Ridho, Jay Idzes (Venezia), Justin Hubner (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jordi Amat (Johor Darul Ta’zim), and Mees Hilgers (Twente), who have a strong chance of being included in the match against China and Japan.

Five out of the six central midfielders called up by Kluivert are difficult to exclude in the match against China. Marselino Ferdinan is the only key midfielder who cannot play against China due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

What is the most logical path for Indonesia to qualify for the World Cup?

Referring to the current standings of Group C and with only two weeks of matches remaining, the most realistic chance for Indonesia to realize its dream of appearing in the World Cup is through the fourth round. Only the top two positions in the group are entitled to qualify directly for the main stage of the 2026 World Cup. Those two spots are almost certainly to be taken by Japan and Australia, two regular participants in the World Cup.

However, the chances for Jay Idzes and his teammates to secure the second position and accompany Japan to the 2026 World Cup are not entirely closed. Indonesia, however, needs a miracle. It is not enough to simply sweep the matches against China and Japan; Indonesia must also hope that Australia and Saudi Arabia cannot achieve positive results in their last two matches.

Australia will face Japan and Saudi Arabia in the last two matches of Group C. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia will compete against Bahrain and Australia in the final two matches.

If able to advance to the fourth round, opponents from the Middle East are already waiting. The United Arab Emirates (13 points) has secured a ticket to the fourth round of Group A, while Qatar (10) is four points ahead of Kyrgyzstan in fifth place. The top two positions in Group A are occupied by Iran (20) and Uzbekistan (17).