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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Patrick Kluivert will start coaching the Indonesian National Team directly this week. The Dutch coach has called up 27 temporary players to the national team for two Group C matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Australia in Sydney on March 20 and Bahrain in Jakarta on March 25.
Of the 27 players, Septian Bagaskara is a new local player who has defended the Indonesian national team. There is also the name Ole Romeny who has become the new striker for the national team after the naturalization process for the player who defended Oxford United was completed on February 8.
In addition to these two names, the other 25 players are names that used to decorate the squad in the Shin Tae-yong era. The temporary list of 27 players will increase following the arrival of three new players, namely Dean James, Joey Pelupessy, and Emil Audero who have just completed their oath and promise of Indonesian Citizenship (WNI). These 30 players will later compete for the quota of 23 players registered per match according to FIFA regulations.
Kluivert called up nine players from Indonesia's League 1, one less than the last player call-up during Shin's last qualifying match in November, against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Dewa United, who are in second place in the standings, contributed the most players (three players), namely Egi Maulana, Septian Bagaskara, and Ricky Kambuaya.
The combination of Egy and Septian contributed 18 goals for Dewa or around 33 percent of the total goals for the club nicknamed Banten Warriors this season. For Kambuaya, the former Persib player is a vital player who balances Dewa's midfield under the guidance of Jon Olde Riekerink. Kambuaya scored two goals and five assists this season from 20 matches or six absences.
Three clubs in the top four of the League 1 standings, Dewa, Persebaya Surabaya, and Persija Jakarta contributed players to the national team. Only Persib, the team at the top of the standings, was not glanced at by Kluivert in his first player call-up from a club in the top four.
Rizky Ridho and Muhammad Ferarri are representatives of Persija. Two goalkeepers from League 1 are Ernando Ari from Persebaya and Nadeo Argawinata from Borneo. The remaining two players are players who are struggling to lift their teams from the bottom. The two players are Ramadhan Sananta from Persis Solo and Hokky Caraka from PSS Sleman.
League 1 players will gather this week after they finish their matches with their respective clubs before the international break and Eid holiday. League 1 will enter a long holiday on Sunday, March 16, after the last match between PSIS Semarang and Madura United.
League 1 players who received a call from Kluivert will finish their matches before the long holiday on Wednesday, March 12. These nine players will later meet with national team coach Patrick Kluivert who arrived in Indonesia on Sunday at 18.10 WIB with technical advisor Jordi Cruyff. Two of Kluivert's assistants, Alex Pastoor and Denny Landzaat, are scheduled to leave for Indonesia on Wednesday, March 12.
Fighting for Position in the Indonesian National Team
The arrival of Septian Bagaskara to the Indonesian national team squad has made the striker position in the Garuda team crowded. To get a place in the final 23-man list, Septian must compete with five other strikers. In addition to new player Ole Romeny, the national team currently has Ramadhan Sananta, Hokky Caraka, Rafael Struick, and Ragnar Oratmangoen who are already regulars with the Red and White.
Septian is a new name that Kluivert called from his impromptu visit to monitor a number of matches in the Indonesian League 1 from January to early February. He saw Septian's ability firsthand in the match against Persija at the Pakansari Stadium in Bogor when the 27-year-old player came on as a substitute.
Despite being a new name in the Indonesian national team, Septian comes with real quality in terms of scoring goals. This season, the Kediri-born player is entering his most prolific season in League 1 because he has scored seven goals for Dewa United. He became the second most prolific local player in League 1 after Egy with 11 goals. Even more special, Septian's goal record was achieved when he was not Jan Olde's main choice in the striker position.
This record has far exceeded the productivity of the Garuda team's regular strikers, such as Sananta (four goals), Hokky (three goals), Struick (one goal), and Oratmangoen (one goal), at their respective clubs. Ole, who is also a new name, has only scored three goals this season, two with FC Utrecht, and one with his current club Oxford United.
Septian's sharp instincts in front of the opponent's goal are not only visible this season because the 1.83 meter tall striker was once the top scorer in League 3 2018 with Persik Kediri with a collection of 28 goals.
With his proven quality this season and Oratmangoen's absence against Australia on March 20 in Sydney due to an accumulation of yellow cards, Septian has the opportunity to make his debut in the match against the Socceroos.
A convincing debut will give a sweet first impression to Kluivert, who during his time as a player was respected as a world-class striker with a collection of 206 goals from 408 matches.
Even Composition of Players
The General Chairperson of the All Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohir is very pleased with the first names called by Kluivert. According to him, these names have an even composition in each position.
He also said that these names had been carefully considered by Kluivert and his two assistants, Alex Pastoor and Denny Landzaat. "I am pleased with the provisional list of players chosen by coach Patrick Kluivert, which is his first list as the national team coach," said Erick, Sunday.
The Minister of SOEs hopes that the 27 players and three new players who have become Indonesian citizens can help Indonesia maximize the points in the two matches in March against Australia and Bahrain, which are targeted to earn four points, with details of one point against Australia and three points against Bahrain.
These four points will be the right benchmark for Kluivert and his coaching team who are entering a new era in the Indonesian national team. In addition, the points scored are also very valuable for Indonesia which is targeting to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which for the first time will be held in three countries.
List of 27 Indonesian National Team Players Chosen by Patrick Kluivert:
Goalkeepers:
1. Maarten Paes (Dallas)
2. Nadeo Argawinata (Borneo)
3. Ernando Ari (Persebaya).
Defenders:
4. Calvin Verdonk (NEC Nijmegen)
5. Shayne Pattynama (KAS Eupen)
6. Nathan Tjoe-A-On (Swansea City)
7. Pratama Arhan (Bangkok United)
8. Sandy Walsh (Yokohama F. Marinos)
9. Eliano Reinjders (PEC Zwolle)
10. Kevin Diks (FC Copenhagen)
11. Rizky Ridho (Persija)
12. Jay Idzes (Venezia)
13. Justin Hubner (Wolverhampton Wanderers U-21)
14. Mees Hilgers (FC Twente)
15. Muhammad Ferarri (Persija)
16. Jordi Amat (Johor Darul Ta'zim).
Midfielders:
17. Egy Maulana (Dewa United)
18. Marselino Ferdinan (Oxford United)
19. Ricky Kambuaya (Dewa United)
20. Ivar Jenner (Jong FC Utrecht)
21. Thom Haye (Almere City).
Strikers:
22. Ole Romeny (Oxford United)
23. Ramadhan Sananta (Persis)
24. Hokky Caraka (PSS)
25. Rafael Struick (Brisbane Roar)
26. Ragnar Oratmangoen (FCV Dender)
27. Septian Bagaskara (Dewa United).
Indonesian National Team Schedule in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers (Live RCTI and Vision+):
- Thursday, March 20, 2025: Australia vs Indonesia (away)
- Tuesday, March 25, 2025: Indonesia vs Bahrain (Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta)
- Thursday, June 5, 2025: Indonesia vs China (Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta)
- Tuesday, June 10, 2025: Japan vs Indonesia (away).
Editor’s Choice: Indonesia's PSSI Names Jordi Cruyff as Technical Adviser in National Team Revamp
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