Indonesian soccer ultimately failed to qualify for the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) CONCACAF World Cup finals. Shin Tae-yong was sacked in January and Patrick Kluivert was appointed, but they did not achieve their goal. Erick Thohir, chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), also bowed his head.
The Indonesia team led by Kluivert lost 0-1 to Iraq on the 12th (Korean time) at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the second round of Group B in the AFC fourth round playoff for the 2026 FIFA CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.
That day Indonesia fought well against Iraq until conceding, but conceded in the 31st minute of the second half when they failed to stop Zidan Ikbal's long-range shot. After that the momentum swung sharply. Indonesian players lost their composure after being drawn into Iraq's deliberate time-wasting. Although 11 minutes of stoppage time were added, Indonesia ultimately failed to break through Iraq's goal.
With this, Indonesia's elimination from World Cup qualifying was confirmed. They had lost the first match 2-3 after conceding in added time against Saudi Arabia. Angry Indonesian fans threw water bottles from the stands. After the final whistle some members of the Indonesian team staff rushed at the referee and were shown a red card.
Public sentiment in Indonesia is cold. In added time, Indonesian fans chanted Shin Tae-yong's name and heaped criticism on Kluivert. Even after the match ended, Shin Tae-yong's name echoed through the stands.
Calls to immediately dismiss Kluivert have grown loud. Indonesian outlet SisiaGoal said on social media, "We conducted a simple survey for 24 hours. A total of 52,878 voters participated. The result is clear. '#PatrickOut' received 91.8% (48,614 votes) support, while '#PatrickStay' received only 8.2% (4,364 votes). This survey was conducted transparently. There was no bias or editing," it said.
Even from the statistics, one can see why Indonesian fans are shouting 'Kluivert out.' SisiaGoal pointed out, "Numbers do not lie! During World Cup qualifying Kluivert recorded a 33.3% win rate in six matches (2 wins, 4 losses). Worrisome is that the team conceded a total of 15 goals and scored only five. Of those, three were penalties and only two came from open play. This is what he calls his 'total football' philosophy."
The outlet added, "In contrast, Shin Tae-yong recorded a 42.9% win rate with six wins, four draws and four losses in 14 matches after round one and before many prospects joined. Despite his defensive playing style, the Indonesian national team conceded only 17 goals and scored 26. What do you think when you see those numbers?"
Erick Thohir, the PSSI chairman who appointed Kluivert, has not escaped criticism. SisiaGoal shared a photo of Thohir holding Kluivert's jersey and taking a commemorative photo, and criticized him, saying, "Where did it start...so we know who is responsible, don't we?"
Thohir also posted an apology. On social media he wrote, "Thank you to the fans, players and officials who worked hard to reach the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Indonesian soccer reached this stage for the first time in history," and added, "I am sorry we have not yet achieved our dream of qualifying for the World Cup finals."
Thohir had re-signed Shin Tae-yong last year through 2027, but in January he abruptly sacked Shin Tae-yong and appointed the 'Dutch legend' Kluivert. That decision sparked much backlash in Indonesia. Although Kluivert was a legendary striker in his playing days, he had not achieved any results as a coach.
At the time PSSI explained the decision was made with ties to Europe-based naturalized players, particularly in the Netherlands, in mind. However, Kluivert added many naturalized players and effectively fielded a team made up mostly of naturalized players, yet still failed to reach the World Cup. As a result Thohir's decision backfired. Voices have grown in Indonesia calling for the reinstatement of Shin Tae-yong, who was sacked by Ulsan HD after 65 days.
[Photo] SisiaGoal, Indonesia national team, Extra Time Indonesia, Thohir social media.
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