The Australian males’s soccer crew’s head coach Tony Popovic believes there can be a level of the unknown when his aspect face an Indonesian crew led for the primary time by Patrick Kluivert in a qualifying match for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The groups meet in Sydney on Thursday in a vital conflict with each battling to nab the second spot in Asian qualifying Group C alongside Japan, who’ve all however locked up the highest spot.
Australia’s hopes of securing the second computerized ticket to the finals from the group will relaxation on how they fare towards Indonesia and China, whom they face in Hangzhou on Tuesday.
The highest two sides within the group are assured a berth on the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Indonesia, who stand with three different nations a degree behind second-placed Australia within the group, have skilled a major upturn in fortunes as a result of an inflow of primarily Dutch-born members of the nation’s diaspora.
They drew 0-0 with Australia in a qualifier in Jakarta in September, shocked Saudi Arabia 2-0 in November, and in January introduced former Dutch worldwide Kluivert on board as coach.
In the meantime, Popovic changed Graham Arnold because the Australian coach.
Thursday’s sport can be Barcelona and Dutch nice Kluivert’s first answerable for the Southeast Asian nation, who’re making an attempt to succeed in the World Cup for the primary time since independence in 1945.
“We’ve analysed Indonesia, we all know there’s a brand new coach, we don’t understand how he’ll arrange,” mentioned the previous Crystal Palace defender Popovic.
“After all we’ve seen what he’s achieved beforehand in varied jobs he’s been concerned in, by way of the construction and form that he performs.
“However we now have to concentrate on us and know that we will take care of any construction that comes our means.”
Popovic, who’s lacking key gamers in central defence, cautioned that persistence could also be required if Kluivert instructs his males to sit down deep and defend in numbers.
“Now we have to be ready to do regardless of the second permits us and if it’s not on, be affected person and look ahead to the opening,” he mentioned.
‘Put Indonesia on the map’
In the meantime, Kluivert has promised some surprises from his crew, regardless of solely having had a few coaching periods together with his squad since taking on.
With lots of his gamers flying in from their golf equipment in Europe, Kluivert admitted that there had not been sufficient time to actually impose his concepts on the squad however mentioned he was assured they have been able to problem for a primary win over Australia since 1981.
“Altering is unattainable in the intervening time,” he mentioned.
“However in fact, there’s issues I don’t simply clarify right here, however there can be some, some issues change, however that’s between us.
“I believe the crew is prepared. They know what we count on tomorrow.”
One of many Dutch-born gamers is their captain Jay Idzes.
“I believe we confirmed already the final yr, possibly a little bit bit extra, that Indonesia is a rustic that must be handled,” Idzes mentioned.
“Hopefully, and I really imagine it, within the subsequent years we will actually put Indonesia on the map.”
Kluivert mentioned he and his assistants, who embrace former Barcelona ahead Jordi Cruyff, had not been idle since their appointments, travelling round Indonesia and spending time visiting their Europe-based gamers to “share their philosophy”.
“I’m very completely happy concerning the high quality that we now have within the group. All the things may be higher,” Kluivert mentioned.
Idzes put paid to any suggestion that the gamers from the diaspora weren’t as emotionally invested in Indonesian soccer as native gamers.
“We communicate between the gamers about what this sport means to us, and I’m not anticipating the rest than our best possible tomorrow,” mentioned the Venezia centre half.
“It’s actually essential that everyone understands that we’re preventing and representing our nation, 280 million individuals are on our backs. For me, personally, I don’t really feel the additional stress. I simply really feel the additional assist from all people.”
Indonesia face Bahrain at residence on Tuesday.
Failure to complete within the high two of the group after the remaining 4 matches of the third spherical of Asian qualifying would nonetheless depart the potential for passage by way of a fourth spherical or intercontinental playoffs.