Patrick Kluivert, the coach of Indonesia, suffered a crushing defeat in his debut match. Indonesian football fans are already chanting the name of coach Shin Tae-yong.

On the 20th (Korean time), Indonesia lost 1-5 to Australia in the 7th match of Group C in the 3rd round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which took place at Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

As a result, Indonesia has fallen to 5th place in the group, significantly diminishing its chances of qualifying for the World Cup. If Bahrain or China had acquired just one point, they could have finished last. Currently, Indonesia, Bahrain, and China all have 6 points, forming the bottom tier.

This match was the first official game under coach Kluivert's regime. Indonesia had high expectations as a number of naturalized players from the Netherlands joined the team. In fact, 10 out of the 11 starters in this match were naturalized players.

However, Indonesia displayed the worst performance. They conceded the first goal from a penalty in just the 18th minute, followed by another goal just 2 minutes later. It didn't stop there. Indonesia, in disarray, allowed a third goal in the 35th minute.

Indonesia, having already conceded 3 goals in the first half, did not see much improvement in the second half. Coach Kluivert hastily brought in additional naturalized players, but they conceded 2 more goals. Fortunately, a late goal by Ole Romani prevented a scoreless defeat.

After the match, Indonesian fans expressed their anger. Indonesia's 'Sindo News' reported, "As Indonesia was humiliated by Australia, the name Shin Tae-yong echoed through the stadium," stating that "on social media, Shin Tae-yong's name was mentioned over 11,000 times." Additionally, hashtags such as 'Kluivert OUT' have been trending on social media.

'CNN Indonesia' also pointed out, "With the appointment of Kluivert as coach, there were expectations that the comprehensive philosophy he developed during his time with the Netherlands national team would be conveyed. However, there was no sign of that against Australia." According to the media, one fan criticized, "It's not total football; it's total failure."

The Indonesian Football Association shockingly dismissed coach Shin Tae-yong last January. At that time, Indonesia was in 3rd place in Group C with 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses. They also managed to achieve a 0-0 draw against Australia at home.

However, after Indonesia was eliminated with a squad of young players in the Mitsubishi Cup, the cracks widened. Ultimately, Chairman Erick Thohir fired Shin Tae-yong, who had dedicated 5 years to the team, overnight and swiftly appointed coach Kluivert. At that time, Chairman Thohir stated, "We need a leader who can better implement the strategies agreed upon by the players, communicate more effectively, and create a better program for the entire national team."

The problem is that Coach Kluivert lacks a proper coaching career. He served as the assistant coach to Louis van Gaal for the Netherlands national team during the 2014 World Cup, but his direct coaching experience is limited to the Curaçao national team and Turkey's Adana Demirspor. Even then, he joined Adana Demirspor in the summer of 2023 but left the team after just 5 months.

As a result, fans' concerns were significant. Nevertheless, Indonesia pressed ahead with Kluivert's appointment. Some argued that Chairman Thohir made this choice because he wanted additional naturalized players from the Netherlands. In fact, Indonesia naturalized several players, including Emil Audero and Joy Perpezi, who are from Juventus' youth team, and Dean James.

Despite this, Coach Kluivert's debut match ended in a devastating defeat. The decision to build the team mainly with naturalized players, excluding local players, turned out to be a misstep. Following his dismissal, the hopes of coach Shin Tae-yong, who supported his former players’ World Cup aspirations, are in jeopardy.

After the match, Coach Kluivert remained unfazed despite the crushing defeat. He said, "We need to strive for a good result against Bahrain. First, we must analyze this game," adding, "However, I am satisfied with the players' mentality and professionalism. If these goals were conceded due to personal mistakes, we must work harder. That's normal."

Chairman Thohir once again mentioned the possibility of qualifying for the finals. He wrote on social media, "I will continue to support the Indonesian national team whether they win or lose because I love this country wholeheartedly," and added, "I will keep working to ensure the national team can qualify for the World Cup. Players, do not bow your heads. There are still opportunities."

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (No unauthorized reproduction or redistribution), Bola, Indonesian Football Association social media.

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