Indonesia, drawn in Group B, will face host nation Saudi Arabia on 9/10 and Iraq on 12/10. In the second qualifying round, they lost to Iraq 1-5 and 0-2. By the third round, with a stronger and more stable squad, they drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia away and won 1-0 at home.

Their fourth-place finish in Group C of the third qualifying round placed Indonesia in the fourth round, alongside two other fourth-placed teams and three third-placed teams. These six teams are divided into two groups, playing a single round-robin format to determine the two group winners who will advance to the 2026 World Cup. The two runners-up will face each other in the fifth qualifying round, with the winner competing in the inter-confederation playoffs.

Indonesia (in white) drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia (in green) in their opening Group C match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Saudi Arabia, on 5/9/2024. Photo: *Reuters*

With just over two weeks left to prepare, CNN Indonesia has highlighted several off-field concerns for Patrick Kluivert's team.

The first challenge is the centralized location of the matches in Saudi Arabia, while the other group's matches will be held in Qatar. Except for the two host nations, the remaining four teams opposed this decision, proposing a neutral venue. However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) rejected their request. "Qatar and Saudi Arabia will have a significant home advantage with the support of their fans," the article states. "They are also more familiar with the playing conditions, along with other non-technical factors such as the weather."

Indonesia's two matches will take place at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 62,000. According to regulations, the away team receives 8% of the issued tickets, meaning no more than 5,000 tickets.

The match schedule is another disadvantage for Indonesia, requiring them to play two consecutive matches. This stems from the seeding process, where Indonesia was placed in a lower position based on the FIFA rankings. The Indonesian team must play two matches in three days, while Saudi Arabia and Iraq, facing each other in the final match, control their own destiny.

The initial plan was for Indonesia to play Saudi Arabia at 6 p.m. on 8/10 Riyadh time, which translates to midnight on 9/10 Hanoi time. The AFC later accepted the Football Association of Indonesia's (PSSI) request to postpone the match by 2 hours and 15 minutes. The match against Iraq was also moved from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Indonesia (in red) lost 0-2 to Iraq (in white) in their fifth match of Group F in the second round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia, on 6/6/2024. Photo: *IFA*

The third concern is the referee selection. The AFC appointed a Kuwaiti referee, from the West Asia region, to officiate Indonesia's opening match. The PSSI immediately sent a letter of protest to FIFA and the AFC, requesting a referee from a neutral region.

"We are trying to lobby for a referee from a more neutral region, such as Australia, Japan, or China," PSSI chairman Erick Thohir stated. "A referee from Europe would also be acceptable. Let's wait and see the outcome."

Indonesia still harbors concerns about refereeing decisions following their 2-2 draw with Bahrain in the third qualifying round in 10/2024. At Bahrain National Stadium, the home team scored an equalizer in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time. The Omani referee, Ahmed Al-Kaf, subsequently faced criticism from many in Indonesia. The AFC website, the Oman Football Association, and the Bahrain Football Association also endured criticism and even online attacks from Indonesian users.

Finally, Indonesia has had a negative experience with the delegation's logistics in Saudi Arabia. They previously arrived late to the stadium for their match against Saudi Arabia in the opening round of the third qualifying round in 10/2024.

This time, the PSSI has sent an advance team to Saudi Arabia to work with the hosts. Hotel accommodations, security, and transportation are being arranged in advance to ensure that Kluivert and his team can focus entirely on the matches.

Trung Thu