Indonesian fans exclaimed something after a narrow loss to Saudi Arabia

Indonesian fans showed clear frustration when their team was defeated 2-3 by Saudi Arabia, leaving almost no chance of reaching the World Cup.

Before entering the 2026 World Cup qualifying round 4, Indonesia was highly expected to make history. Therefore, after losing 2-3 to Saudi Arabia in the opening match, Indonesian fans reacted quite strongly. This defeat significantly reduced the "Garuda" team's chances of advancing.

On the official fanpage of the Indonesian national team, many critical comments were posted. Among them, a dedicated fan analyzed the reasons behind Indonesia's loss to Saudi Arabia: "Leading 1-0 initially, then conceding two goals due to individual errors. Saudi Arabia’s first goal came from Klok’s mistake, and the second was a ridiculous error by Yakob Sayuri. Beckham was very ineffective during the first half."

Besides criticizing the players, one Indonesian fan no longer wanted to trust coach Kluivert: "Kluivert should leave. It’s useless having many quality players if they still can’t defeat the Saudis. Shin Tae-yong knew how to utilize his squad and find ways to win."

Another opinion pointed out that Indonesia’s midfield lacked creativity in the defeat to Saudi Arabia:"The midfield failed to supply the forwards with the ball. Beckham, Kambuaya, and Oratmangoen all played poorly and were completely overwhelmed in the middle of the park."

Another Indonesian fan believed the difference between the two teams in this match was class: "This is why Saudi Arabia has consistently participated in the World Cup over the years; they are truly more experienced and of higher quality than Indonesia."

Although the 2-3 loss was close, it clearly showed that Indonesia still lags behind Saudi Arabia in terms of quality. Even with a one-player advantage in the final minutes, failing to equalize at 3-3 was a source of regret for many Indonesian fans.

The Indonesian national team has one more match in the World Cup qualifying round 4 against Iraq on October 12. Overall, their chances of advancing are slim. Indonesia can try to win against Iraq in the last game to at least secure second place and keep a chance to qualify for round 5.