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January 24, 2025 | 11:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Patrick Kluivert's appointment as coach of the Indonesian national team may have brought about an unexpected twist in Australia's preparation for the remaining 2026 World Cup qualifiers, but Australian coach Tony Popovic believes his team can adjust and prepare for what the Dutchman brings for the Garuda Squad.
PSSI, the Indonesian football association, fired South Korean coach Shin Tae-Yong in early January 2025. “We see the need for a leader who is better able to implement the strategies agreed upon by the players, and who has better communication,” said PSSI boss Erick Thohir at the time.
STY's dismissal was surprising because the South Korean coach elevated Indonesia’s performance in the 2024 AFC Cup and secured a historic 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Kluivert was since appointed as his successor. The Barcelona and Netherlands national team legend signed a two-year contract with an option to extend. PSSI also appointed Denny Landzaat and former Sparta Rotterdam boss Alex Pastoor as assistants.
Popovic has a history with Kluivert, who also spent some of his early coaching in Australia. Kluivert served as assistant to current Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou at Brisbane Roar in 2010. Kluivert has worked with the Curacao national team and Turkish club Adana Demirspor. After that, Kluivert worked mostly as an assistant, and in academies.
Popovic has little to analyze ahead of the match between Australia and Indonesia in the late March World Cup qualifier match in Sydney. “We'll have a look at his coaching history. [Kluivert] hasn't had a long [head coaching] history but we've seen the structure he's played,” he said, quoted by ESPN.
"Whatever it is, we'll analyze it—we've got to respect the opponent. We have to be prepared for either way of playing; how they want to build up and how they want to defend,” he added. "But I'm sure the players will be looking forward to coming to camp and playing a vital window in these two games and I'm sure they're excited like we are, as a staff."
The Indonesian national team will travel to Sydney in March with a one-point gap to second-placed Australia in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. With home games against Bahrain and China, Indonesia is well-placed to push for third or fourth place, which will take them into the next round of qualifying.
Editor’s Choice: Erick Thohir Seeks 10 Local Assistant Coach Candidates for Patrick Kluivert in the Indonesian National Team
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