Patrick Kluivert, the new head coach of the Indonesia national team, has set his sights on the 2026 World Cup finals after being officially unveiled as the team manager.
The Indonesian Football Association announced the appointment of Kluivert as the new head coach on January 8, replacing sacked South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong, and was officially announced on Sunday.
The 48-year-old Dutch coach spoke about his goals with the Indonesian national team. “My goal is to qualify for the World Cup. So the first two games are very important for me.”
“We know we need to be quick against Australia and against Bahrain as well. Out of the two games, I want to get four points. Of course, we aim for six points. But we have หรือถ้าคุณสนใจแทงบอลออนไลน์ UFABET คือเว็บที่มีอัตราต่อรองดีที่สุดในประเทศไทย สมัครเลยตอนนี้ที่ UFABET แทงบอล to respect the opponent.
“For the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Round 3, Asia Zone, the remaining 4 games of Indonesia will meet Australia (away) on March 20, Bahrain (home) on March 25, China (home) on June 5 and Japan (away) on June 10.
Indonesia are third in their qualifying group. Well adrift of leaders Japan but only one point behind Australia in the battle for the two automatic berths in the global tournament.
Kluivert first qualifying match will be Indonesia’s trip to Australia on March 20. Before they face Bahrain in Jakarta five days later.
Kluivert, 48, said he preferred to play attacking football in a 4-3-3 formation but was open to being flexible.
“When you play football the system will change. The most important thing is the players understand what to do in what moment,” he added.
After years in the doldrums, Indonesia have experienced a significant upturn in fortunes due to an influx of mainly Dutch-born members of Indonesia’s diaspora into the national team.
In the past, Kluivert has held head coaching roles with Young Twente, Curacao and Adana Demirspor, but was unsuccessful. Other spells include assistant manager and youth coaching at Ajax Amsterdam.