TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian national team players, called up by coach Patrick Kluivert for the final two matches of the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone, have joined the training camp in Bali. They are preparing to face China in a home match on June 5 and Japan in an away match five days later.
In a YouTube video uploaded by the Indonesian National Team account on Friday, May 30, 2025, the players were seen undergoing physical training. Physical trainer Quentin Jakoba guided them through a jogging session before the main training began.
Players who were previously absent, such as Shayne Pattynama and Calvin Verdonk, have now joined the training. However, Mees Hilgers, despite arriving in Indonesia as shown on the Indonesian National Team's Instagram story, has not yet been seen among the trainees.
The four goalkeepers, Ernando Ari Sutaryadi, Nadeo Argawinata, Emil Audero Mulyadi, and Reza Arya Pratama, are participating in special training. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Maarten Paes has not yet joined the squad.
Several players listed in the 32-man Garuda squad for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers have not been observed in training. These include Sandy Walsh, Kevin Diks, Jordi Amat, and Eliano Reijnders.
Eliano reportedly withdrew from the national team due to family reasons. "We fully support Eliano to accompany his family in this important and happy moment. Family is the main priority," Kluivert stated.
Meanwhile, Jordi Amat requires rest due to an acute sore throat accompanied by a mild cough and headache. "We recommend that Jordi rest because he has an acute sore throat. Currently, his condition continues to improve," said Indonesian national team doctor Alfan Nur Asyhar.
Beckham Putra from Persib Bandung, who recently received a call-up, has joined the training. He expressed his enjoyment of the session, noting the coach's friendly demeanor. He elaborated on the training's focus, "It's more about understanding tactics because we observed how the Chinese opponent played, so we had to adapt quickly. Alhamdulillah, I was able to adapt quickly, and I did what coach Patrick wanted."
During the training session, assistant coach Alex Pastoor was seen working with Stefano Lilipaly. The Borneo FC player has been recalled to the national team and was observed training alongside Ivar Jenner and Joey Pelupessy.
Of the 32 players called to the training camp in Bali, the squad will later be reduced to 23 players to be registered for the match against China. Kluivert expressed satisfaction with the training's progress.
According to him, the players were alert in grasping the strategy and game plan. "The way they executed this training was very good. The players understand what we are trying to achieve, and I think that is the most important thing: having a definite goal about how we want to fight China," he remarked.
The Garuda squad currently sits in fourth place in the Group C standings with 9 points, trailing Japan (20 points), Australia (13 points), and Saudi Arabia (10 points). Kluivert's team is three points ahead of Bahrain and China, who are below them.
The final two matches of Group C will be crucial for Jay Idzes and his teammates to qualify for the fourth round, as direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup is mathematically very difficult to achieve. Japan has already secured its qualification from this group.
The third and fourth-ranked teams in each group will advance to the fourth qualifying round to compete for two additional final-round tickets. Meanwhile, the fifth and sixth-ranked teams will be eliminated.
Indonesia hopes to finish in third or fourth position in Group C to continue vying for a 2026 World Cup qualification ticket. The Garuda squad can qualify for the fourth round if they secure a win against China.
Editor’s Choice: Indonesia Can Beat China, but Japan Will Be Tough, Says Patrick Kluivert
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