March 27, 2026 | 11:50 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian national team has advanced to the final of the 2026 FIFA Series after defeating Saint Kitts and Nevis 4-0 at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday night, March 27, 2026. The Garuda Squad will face Bulgaria, who thrashed the Solomon Islands 10–2 in their first match a few hours earlier.
Indonesia's first match under coach John Herdman displayed a different performance. This time, the Garuda squad played solidly. The player transitions ran smoothly. The attackers not only waited for the ball from the back but also actively sought the ball. Interestingly, the defenders were able to move forward during the attacks.
Beckham Putra opened the scoring in the 15th minute. He successfully finished a breakthrough pass from Ole Romeny in the midfield. Beckham managed to bypass the Saint Kitts and Nevis defender before defeating the opposing goalkeeper.
Only eight minutes later, the Persib Bandung player scored again to double Indonesia's lead. Romeny's pass was once again well finished. He took the shot when given space. Beckham scored two goals, bringing Indonesia to a 2-0 lead in the first half.
In the second half, Ole Romeny, who had previously provided two assists, scored in the 52nd minute to extend the lead to 3-0. After leading by three goals, coach John Herdman made four substitutions at once, bringing in Joey Pelupessy, Ivar Jenner, Yakob Sayuri, and Sandy Walsh to replace Jordi Amat, Calvin Verdonk, Kevin Diks, and Jay Idzes.
Shortly after, in the 64th minute, another substitution was made. Elkan Baggott, Beckham Putra, and Ole Romeny were replaced by Justin Hubner, Ragnar Oratmangoen, and Eliano Reijnders. In the 71st minute, Mauro Zijlstra was brought in to replace Ramadhan Sananta.
Mauro Zijlstra only needed three minutes to score. Joey Pelupessy finished off a pass in the 74th minute to increase the lead to 4-0.
In the 83rd minute, Saint Kitts and Nevis had a golden opportunity. One of their players took a shot at goal, but the ball hit the post.
Five minutes later, Yakob Sayuri put the ball into the net after receiving a pass from his teammate at the back. However, the goal was disallowed for offside.
This result ensured Indonesia's advancement to the final, where they will compete against Bulgaria at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026. The match is scheduled to start at 8:00 PM Western Indonesian Time (WIB), following the third-place match between Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Solomon Islands.
The match against Bulgaria will be a challenge for the Indonesian national team, which is currently ranked 121st in the world. This is because Bulgaria ranks 87th in the world, whereas Saint Kitts and Nevis ranks 154th.
Indonesian Team Lineup: Maarten Paes; Rizky Ridho, Jay Idzes, Elkan Baggott; Dony Tri Pamungkas, Calvin Verdonk, Jordi Amat, Kevin Diks, Beckham Putra, Ramadhan Sananta, Ole Romeny.
Match Results Recap
Match 1, Friday, March 27, 2026
Bulgaria vs Solomon Islands (10-2)
Indonesia vs Saint Kitts and Nevis (4-0)
Match 2 Schedule, Monday, March 30, 2026
3:30 PM WIB: Solomon Islands vs Saint Kitts and Nevis (3rd Place Match)
8:00 PM WIB: Bulgaria vs Indonesia (Final)
Read: Indonesia vs. St. Kitts and Nevis: FIFA Series Prediction
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