FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, AFC: Australia vs Indonesia preview, what are the coaches saying?
FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, AFC: Australia vs Indonesia preview, what are the coaches saying?
Australia’s Socceroos are gearing up for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Indonesia on Thursday, with the Australian public expecting a victory to secure their position in the 2026 tournament.
However, both teams are approaching the match with high stakes, as Indonesia has shown considerable improvement under coach Patrick Kluivert.
With a tense race for second place in Group C, the clash in Sydney will play a pivotal role in determining the teams’ World Cup fortunes.
Both coaches, Tony Popovic for Australia and Kluivert for Indonesia, have outlined their strategies and expectations ahead of the important encounter.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic acknowledged that the Australian public expects a victory, but emphasised that Indonesia has significantly improved in recent years.
Popovic pointed out Indonesia’s recent strong performances, including a draw against Australia in Jakarta last September and a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Popovic reassured that the team wouldn’t underestimate Indonesia despite the expectation of a win from fans.
Australia is currently in second place in Group C, with Japan having almost secured top spot. The Socceroos’ path to automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup rests on their performance in upcoming matches, including against Indonesia and China.
If Australia doesn’t finish in the top two, it could still qualify through the intercontinental playoffs.
Popovic accepted that Australian fans would expect a victory over a nation that has not played World Cup finals football since 1938 but said there would be no complacency from his squad.
“I think it’s quite clear why,” he told reporters at the Sydney Football Stadium.
“We drew with them away, the group is very tight, so there is no reason to underestimate Indonesia. Their last result proves that against Saudi Arabia. So that’s not happening.
“(But) the expectation of the Australian public, that’s what it should be. They should expect the national team to produce and to play good football.”
“I think the players know the magnitude of the games and how important they are, but we also know that we’re in a position that we can retain our second spot,” he said.
“We have to be patient. If they press, we have to be able to exploit the spaces left there. If they sit deep, we need to exploit the spaces between the lines and trying to penetrate around the box.
“We just have to be prepared to do whatever the moment allows us. And if it’s not on, be patient and wait for the opening.”
Indonesia’s head coach promised that his team would bring some surprises to the match, despite having limited time to prepare.
While Kluivert admitted that he hasn’t been able to fully implement his strategies, he expressed confidence in the team’s readiness to challenge Australia.
“Changing is impossible at the moment,” he told reporters at Sydney Football Stadium on Wednesday. “But of course, there’s things I don’t just explain here, but there will be some, some things change, but that’s between us.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Published on Mar 19, 2025
