After a 2-3 defeat to Saudi Arabia on October 9, Indonesia fell at a disadvantage in Group B of the fourth qualifying round. If they cannot beat Iraq in the match taking place at 2:30 a.m. on October 12 (Vietnam time), coach Kluivert and his team will almost end their journey in the World Cup qualifiers.
The only thing to do is to beat Iraq. A very difficult task, but we are brave people," said coach Patrick Kluivert.
In the past, Indonesia has lost to Iraq 3 consecutive times, including losses 1-5, 0-2 in the 2nd and 1-3 qualifiers at the 2023 Asian Cup. However, coach Kluivert believes that the current team is different, with more quality faces and a cohesive competitive spirit.
The loss to Saudi Arabia caused the Dutch coach and his students to be criticized, but Mr. Kluivert considered it a "respected expectation" and a motivation for the whole team to make more efforts. We have a team that really supports each other. They will fight for their fans, their country and their families. The fans are also the 12th player and are always present wherever the team goes," he added.
To prepare for the confrontation with Iraq, the Indonesian coaching staff has operated ice and carefully analyzed the loss to Saudi Arabia to adjust the strategy. Coach Kluivert emphasized that his team has a specific plan to counter opponents.
On the other side, coach Graham Arnold ( Iraq) said his team was 100% disciplined and ready, and expressed respect for Indonesia - the team that had made Saudi Arabia work hard to win. However, Iraq is still concerned about the fitness of key striker Aymen Hussein, who has not fully recovered from injury.
The match between Indonesia and Iraq promises to be very tense, as both teams need a victory to keep the hope of going deep in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia.
