What Coach Patrick Kluivert Said After Indonesia Failed to Reach the 2026 World Cup

3 days ago 10

October 12, 2025 | 01:13 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The coach of the Indonesian national team, Patrick Kluivert, failed to lead his team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The certainty was obtained after the Garuda squad lost 0-1 to Iraq in the second match of Group B in the fourth round of qualifiers on Sunday, October 12, 2025.

The Indonesian national team showed promise at the beginning of the match against Iraq at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah in the early hours of Sunday WIB (Western Indonesian Time). Jay Idzes and his teammates were able to create several opportunities in the first half, but failed to convert them into goals. On the other hand, Iraq eventually emerged victorious thanks to a single goal from Zidane Iqbal in the 76th minute.

The result ensured Indonesia's elimination from the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone, following a 1-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia at the same stadium last Thursday. The two defeats placed the Red and White Team at the bottom of Group B with no points. Meanwhile, Iraq and Saudi Arabia will compete to determine the group champion position to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Kluivert expressed his disappointment after Indonesia lost to Iraq. "First and foremost, I am very disappointed. Looking at the course of the match, we performed much better, but once again the result was not in our favor," said the Dutch coach in a press conference, as quoted from the audio recording received by the reporter.

He continued to defend his players by stating that Jay Idzes and his teammates had worked very hard to reach this stage. "I am very proud of the players who have shown their heart and courage on the field. We created opportunities and played very well, but one moment can change everything. We lost because of one action and it is very painful," he said.

The Indonesian national team vs Iraq in the Group B match of the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Saudi Arabia. AFC Documentation

The former Barcelona striker and Dutch national team player mentioned that the entire team felt devastated by the result. According to him, the hard struggle that has been made since the first round of qualifiers makes this failure even more difficult.

"In my opinion, we have developed as a team, both individually and collectively. Yeah, and the dream of the World Cup has slipped from our grasp and the disappointment is not only mine, but the entire nation of Indonesia," he said.

At that opportunity, he also emphasized that his team did not lose due to lack of experience or young age, but because they were not able to convert opportunities into goals.

"No, they are not too young. They played outstandingly against major teams like Saudi Arabia and Iraq, who are ranked in the 50s in the world, while we are ranked 118th. That is evidence of significant progress," said Kluivert.

Editor’s Choice: Indonesia's World Cup Hopes Lost: National Team Played Better Against Iraq Than Against Saudi Arabia

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