Kluivert, the Indonesian coach, hopes to qualify for the World Cup

Patrick Kluivert, the new coach of Indonesia, is determined to guide his team to the 2026 World Cup finals. In his inaugural match against Australia, he is seeking a rapid start.

The Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) chief Erick Thohir called for improved leadership after dismissing South Korean striker Shin Tae-yong on Monday. The former Netherlands striker replaced him.

Kluivert stated at his press conference in Jakarta, “I would like to achieve a minimum of four points from the first two games.”

Indonesia is currently ranked third in their qualifying group, a significant distance from the leaders, Japan, but only one point behind Australia in the competition for the two automatic berths in the global tournament.

The initial qualifying match for Kluivert will be Indonesia’s visit to Australia on March 20, followed by a match against Bahrain in Jakarta five days later.

Kluivert, 48, expressed his preference for playing attacking football in a 4-3-3 formation, but he was amenable to adapting.

“When you play football, the system will change … the most important thing is the players understand what to do in what moment,” according to him.

Indonesia has experienced a substantial increase in fortunes as a result of the migration of primarily Dutch-born members of the Indonesian diaspora into the national team, following years of stagnation.

Indonesia’s sole appearance in the World Cup finals was in 1938, when the country was still under Dutch colonial authority. However, they have restored Indonesia’s optimism for a long-awaited return.

Kluivert had an exceptional playing career, during which he secured the Spanish league championship with Barcelona in 1999 and scored 40 goals in 79 international appearances.

Kluivert was appointed head coach of Curacao, his mother’s homeland, in 2015 after serving as an assistant coach in the Netherlands and Australia. He returned to Ajax Amsterdam’s academy less than 18 months later.

He has executed an agreement with Indonesia that will extend until 2027. He will be supported by his fellow Dutchmen, Denny Landzaat and Alex Pastoor.