Indonesia National Team Coach: 'It Would Be Foolish to Reveal This'

Coach Patrick Kluivert mentioned that he is unable to reveal Indonesia’s strategy before facing Iraq.

After losing to Saudi Arabia in the first round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Indonesia's chances of advancing are very slim. To keep hopes alive for a direct World Cup spot or securing second place to move on to the fifth qualifying round, Indonesia must defeat Iraq in the crucial match on June 12.

During the press conference held one day before the match, Coach Patrick Kluivert was asked many questions about tactics. Several journalists inquired whether Indonesia should switch to a three-center-back formation for more solidity or continue with the current four-man defense.

When questioned about this, Coach Kluivert chose to keep the strategy confidential: "It would be really foolish of me to explain here what we are going to do in tomorrow’s game. We have chosen the approach we believe is best for the match against Iraq. We will assess it tomorrow, and I will explain everything to you after the game."

One thing is certain according to Coach Patrick Kluivert: his team is ready to face Iraq in this do-or-die match that will decide Indonesia’s fate in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

"This game is very important for both teams. It will be an exciting match. Of course, after losing the first game, we have to win and will give our best effort," Coach Kluivert said.

"We know Iraq is a very strong team. We suffered a poor result in the previous match, and tomorrow we will fight to win. We are prepared for tomorrow’s game," he added.

In the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Indonesia faced Iraq. Unfortunately, the Southeast Asian team lost both matches with scores of 0-2 and 1-5. At the 2023 Asian Cup, Indonesia was also convincingly beaten by Iraq with a score of 1-3.