Many Dutch newspapers expressed their shock as Indonesia’s national team, under the guidance of coach Patrick Kluivert, suffered a staggering 1-5 defeat against Australia.

With aspirations of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, Indonesia’s hopes came crashing down after this humiliating loss in their sixth match.

Notably, this defeat marked the debut of new head coach Patrick Kluivert from the Netherlands. Following the match, all eyes were on the 48-year-old strategist. The Dutch media, hailing from Kluivert’s homeland and including several naturalized players on the Indonesian team, joined the conversation.

Coach Kluivert in disbelief after the match (Photo: CNN Indonesia)

The Dutch newspaper AD reported, “Patrick Kluivert has only managed the Indonesian national team for one match. However, after a turbulent debut against Australia, this former top striker has felt significant pressure. A victory against Bahrain is essential; otherwise, his and Indonesia’s World Cup dreams could vanish almost immediately.”

Meanwhile, the publication NU highlighted that Indonesia fielded 10 out of 11 players born in the Netherlands but still faced a bitter defeat: “In Indonesia’s starting lineup, 10 out of 11 players were born in the Netherlands. The only player with Indonesian roots was midfielder Marselino Ferdinan, who was born in Jakarta. The starting lineup included: Maarten Paes, Dean James, Jay Idzes, Mees Hilgers, Calvin Verdonk, Kevin Diks, Thom Haye, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Rafael Struick, and Ole Romeny. Yet, they still suffered a painful loss.”

10 out of 11 players in Indonesia’s match against Australia were naturalized (Photo: CNN Indonesia)

The Dutch press was taken aback by Indonesia’s heavy loss to Australia, despite the on-field performance not showing a significant disparity between the two teams:

“Patrick Kluivert’s tenure as head coach of the Indonesian national team has not started smoothly. The new coach, with his Dutch background, faced a harsh 1-5 defeat against Australia in the World Cup qualifiers. This scoreline seems somewhat cruel, as Indonesia did not appear to be vastly outmatched by an extremely efficient Australia,” added Fcupdate.

As a result of this outcome, Indonesia must put in maximum effort to secure a playoff spot (teams in 3rd and 4th place will qualify), as securing second place in the group is unlikely against Australia or Saudi Arabia. Currently, Indonesia is temporarily in fourth place with 6 points, tied with Bahrain and China, but with a better goal difference.