By Arkhelaus Wisnu Triyogo
Copyright tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The coach of the Indonesian national team, Patrick Kluivert, continues to appreciate his players’ efforts despite the Garuda team having to admit the superiority of Saudi Arabia in the Group B match of the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone. The match, held at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, in the early hours of Thursday, October 9, 2025, saw Indonesia lose with a score of 2-3.”This result is very disappointing, but my players fought like lions. I am proud of their efforts,” Kluivert said in a press conference after the match, as quoted by Antara.The Indonesian national team briefly led through Kevin Diks’ penalty in the 12th minute. However, the Garuda squad lost control of the game afterward. “We started the match quite well, but after leading 1-0, we lost momentum. We didn’t guard the spaces between the lines well, so the opposing wingers could exploit the gaps and press our defense,” said the Dutch coach.Kluivert considers Saudi Arabia’s first goal to be a turning point that changed the course of the game. After that, Indonesia struggled to find their rhythm again. Nevertheless, he refused to look for excuses for the defeat. “I am not the type of coach who hides behind excuses. Yes, the foreign players only arrived yesterday, and that is not an ideal situation, but we have to accept it,” Kluivert said.According to Kluivert, the match was balanced. Indonesia was said to have only lost in the effectiveness of their attacks. “The difference was small. Saudi Arabia was indeed advantaged as they played at home, but overall we could match their game,” he said.He also praised the impressive performance of goalkeeper Marteen Paes, despite conceding three goals. Meanwhile, left-back Calvin Verdonk was absent due to a thigh injury. “Calvin has a slight tear in his thigh muscle. We will monitor his recovery and hope he can play against Iraq,” Kluivert said.The 48-year-old coach concluded the press conference by thanking the Indonesian supporters who gave direct support in Jeddah. He emphasized that the team’s focus is now on the upcoming match against Iraq in the early hours of Sunday, October 12, 2025. “We will analyze this match, correct the mistakes, and rise. The match against Iraq is an important game that we must win,” said the former Barcelona star.With this result, Indonesia is in third place in the temporary standings of Group B, thus narrowing the chances of reaching the final round of the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is in first place.Editor’s Choice: Patrick Kluivert Views Indonesia vs. Saudi Arabia Match as a ‘Final’Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News