TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Patrick Kluivert, the Indonesian national team coach, said he's "very confident" that his team will edge China during the ninth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers scheduled to run on Thursday night, June 5, 2025, at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta.
Kluivert said he only had a little time to prepare for the previous two matches, but has seen "progress from the players" for the upcoming China and Japan games.
"(I'm) counting on my players that they will execute the things that we trained," he said in a press conference on Wednesday, June 4, ahead of the home match against China. "I hope the stadium will be full."
He said the Garuda squad knows already what needs to be done, including ball possession. "The things we want to see tomorrow, I saw very clearly," said the former star of Barcelona and the Dutch national team.
Indonesian National Team players during a training session ahead of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers third round Group C match against China, at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, June 4, 2025. Tempo/M Taufan Rengganis
The Dutch coach emphasized that he's not underestimating the opponent, despite his confidence in the match results. According to him, the Chinese national team led by Branko Ivankovic has a good organization.
Kluivert said the Chinese players are "tall, can play vertically, good at cutting through narrow spaces," and good at pressure. "That's why we have to be very careful and focus on the match. I don't underestimate any team," he said.
Kluivert had previously also expressed his confidence during the Garuda team's training camp in Bali. The coach was determined to give Japan a tough fight for the final match of the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers. "We will give everything to win in that match too," he said.
After hosting China in Jakarta, the Indonesian national team will play away in Japan on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Currently, Patrick Kluivert's squad is in fourth place in the temporary standings of Group C with a collection of nine points. The Garuda team still has a chance to directly qualify for the final round of the 2026 World Cup, or go through the fourth round of the Asian zone qualifiers.
The Indonesian national team ranked below Japan (20 points), Australia (13 points), and Saudi Arabia (10 points). The team led by Patrick Kluivert is three points ahead of Bahrain and China.
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