Indonesian players stretch during a training session at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on March 19, 2025, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification football match between Indonesia and Australia. (AFP/David Gray)
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ustralian national soccer team coach Tony Popovic admitted Wednesday there will be a degree of unknown when his side face an Indonesia team led for the first time by Patrick Kluivert in a World Cup qualifier.
The teams meet in Sydney on Thursday in a crucial clash with both battling to nab second spot in Asian qualifying Group C behind Japan.
With four rounds of games left, Australia are currently second in the group but just one point above Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China.
The top two are guaranteed a berth at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Indonesia held Australia 0-0 in Jakarta in September but both teams have since changed coaches, with Popovic replacing Graham Arnold and Kluivert coming in for Shin Tae-yong.
Thursday's game will be Barcelona and Dutch great Kluivert's first in charge of the Southeast Asian nation, who are attempting to reach the World Cup for the first time since independence in 1945.
"We've analyzed Indonesia, we know there's a new coach, we don't know how he will set up," said the former Crystal Palace defender Popovic.
"Of course we've seen what he's done previously in various jobs he's been involved in in terms of the structure and shape that he plays.
"But we have to focus on us and know that we can deal with any structure that comes our way."
The 48-year-old Kluivert's coaching career has not reached the height of his playing days.
His last coaching role was in charge of Adana Demirspor in Turkey for five months in 2023.
Before that he was caretaker manager of Curacao in 2021.
Much of his coaching experience has been as an assistant, notably to fellow former Ajax and Netherlands player Clarence Seedorf with Cameroon in 2018-2019.
Indonesia have turned to former colonial ruler the Netherlands in a bid to reach the World Cup, naturalizing more than a dozen Dutch-born players in the past few years.
Popovic, who is missing key players in central defense, cautioned that patience may be required if Kluivert instructs his men to sit deep and defend in numbers.
"We have to be prepared to do whatever the moment allows us and if it's not on, be patient and wait for the opening," he said.
Australia face China away next Tuesday while Indonesia are home to Bahrain.
