Mar 19, 2025, 10:15 PM ET
SYDNEY — As a diaspora-driven Indonesia target an unlikely FIFA World Cup berth, captain Jay Idzes is of a clear view that the born-and-raised and naturalised players in the squad are united around a common goal and loyalty.
New coach Patrick Kluivert, meanwhile, is cautioning against expecting wholesale change so early in his tenure
After the sensational sacking of Shin Tae-Yong by PSSI — Indonesian football’s governing body — at the end of last year, Netherlands and Barcelona legend Kluivert will take charge of his first games in the upcoming Asian qualifiers, first against Australia at Sydney Football Stadium on Thursday evening before then hosting Bahrain in Jakarta.
The Indonesians are one of four-nations in Group C deadlocked on six points heading into the penultimate window of Asian qualification’s third phase, just a point back of the Socceroos and their second-placed slot that carries with it automatic qualification for 2026.
Of the 29 players named in Kluivert’s first squad, just ten were developed in Indonesia, with the rest drawn from the nation’s diaspora. Most were recruited during the tenure of Shin but three — goalkeeper Emil Audero, left back Dean James and midfielder Joey Pelupessy — are all on their maiden call-ups.
It’s a recruitment strategy that has led to significant debate in Indonesia.
On one hand, the sudden influx of European-born players of Indonesian descent has supercharged the nation’s results and given it the hope of qualifying for a first World Cup since independence.
On the other, there are concerns that this reliance on players developed outside the country risks stagnating what are still nascent youth development pathways if left unchecked, a view recently shared by a pioneer of the now-well trodden naturalisation path in Sergio van Dijk.
Born in the Netherlands, Idzes opted to represent the land of his maternal grandmother in late 2023 and made his debut the subsequent March.
For the Venezia defender, who has since gone on to wear the armband for Tim Garuda, what matters far more than where an Indonesian player was born than their willingness to “fight” and do their “duty”.
“I think the federation [PSSI] is doing great job with attracting new players to play for Indonesia, to play for their family, and to play for their country,” he said.
“For me, my message is that when new players arrive, that even though we come from different parts of the world, we were born in different places, we still fight for the same colours, and we still have a duty to defend and represent the country.
“Already, the new players that arrived they’ve integrated really well in the group, and I think the vibe and the group is really good.”
Given the significant number of players that were developed in Dutch and other European academies in Indonesia’s ranks, the current campaign marks the first in which the technical and physical levels of the Indonesians are capable of bloodying the noses of their more fancied foes.
Under Shin, they held out for a 0-0 draw with the Socceroos in Jakarta last September and, in November, made history in defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
And while he was quick to make clear that Thursday evening’s fixture represents a new, significant acid test, Idzes said these results were indicative of a rise in standards.
“We showed already [over] the last year, maybe a little bit more, that Indonesia is a country that has to be dealt with,” said the defender.
“We showed it in this group.
“You see we’re developing and building inside the organization.”
For Kluivert, the past few days have given him the chance to actually get his side on the training track for the first time as Indonesia, with the coach to have less than a handful of sessions before Thursday’s game.
Inevitably, this means he’s had scant opportunity to implement much in the way of significant evolution in how his side will play against the Australians.
“But that’s not an excuse,” he said. “The challenges are there to accomplish and we’re ready.
“The situations is unfortunately the truth. But I think the team is ready. They know what we expect tomorrow, so we look forward to play the match .
“[Significant] change is impossible at the moment, but of course there will be some things that change, but that’s between us.
Tim Garuda‘s draw with the Socceroos was built off the back of a strong defensive performance, denying their opponents clear-cut chances despite having significantly less possession and territory.
Given it worked so well, they’re expected to do similar on Thursday. Yet, for Kluivert, a former striker, old habits may die hard.
“I like to play football,” he smiled. “I watched every game [Indonesia has played in qualifying]. The most important thing is that we do our thing and respect Australia.”
