The Indonesian team still has a chance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The team from the archipelago currently has 3 points (-1 goal difference), ranking second to last in Group C. Coach Shin Tae-yong's team still has 6 matches left in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.
In November, the Indonesian team will face Japan and Saudi Arabia at the Bung Karno Stadium. Recently, the Indonesian website Bola published an article affirming that the team from the archipelago has enough confidence to face two strong opponents.
"There will certainly be changes in the starting lineup of the Indonesian team in the match against Japan as well as Saudi Arabia. The two players who are expected to be used are Kevin Diks and Jens Raven. Kevin Diks was a key defender for the Copenhagen club in Denmark. He is in the process of naturalization. The Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) hopes that the 28-year-old "butcher" can quickly complete the naturalization procedure to compete against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Jens Raven, the young striker of the Indonesian U20 team, also has the opportunity to be called up to the national team in the near future. He is a mainstay of the U21 Dordrecht (Netherlands) team but played for the Indonesian U19 team and performed excellently in the 2024 Southeast Asian U19 Championship and the 2024 Asian U20 qualifiers.
The two main strikers Ragnar Oratmangoen and Rafael Struick are still having difficulty finding goals, so it is likely that Jens Raven will be given a chance to show his ability," wrote Bola.
In addition, Bola newspaper also believes that the fans at Bung Karno Stadium as well as the weather and climate in Indonesia will be important factors helping the team from the archipelago feel confident when welcoming two tough opponents, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
"Japan and Saudi Arabia have hot climates like Indonesia. However, the weather and climate in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta, are very unpredictable, and can even change to a severe level. It is likely that both matches will be affected by heavy rain. These are playing conditions that are familiar to Indonesian players.
Besides, the presence of thousands of fans in their home countries will certainly put pressure on the Japanese and Saudi Arabian players when they visit Gelora Bung Karno Stadium," the article emphasized.
