Indonesia receives consecutive bad news, shaking its dream of attending the World Cup

In just a few days, the Indonesian team will gather to enter the fourth stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia, but news about personnel cannot make them optimistic.

Striker Ole Romeny is unlikely to recover from injury in time - Photo: INA

Recently, the head coach of the Indonesian team, former player Patrick Kluivert, confirmed that superstar goalkeeper Emil Audero will have to miss this match due to injury.

Audero is one of the brightest stars of the Indonesian national team at the moment. He currently plays for Serie A club Cremonese, and has played in every match for the Italian team since the beginning of this season.

But because of that, Audero recently suffered a pretty serious injury. "I called Emil after his MRI scan. It's a pity to confirm that he will be absent from the upcoming World Cup qualifiers."

This is really bad news for the Indonesian team. The upcoming qualifying round is the most important "battlefield" in Indonesia's campaign to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

They were drawn in a very tough group with Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and the matches were even held in Saudi Arabia.

To qualify directly, Indonesia must top the group. If not, they will have to finish second to hope to qualify for the play-offs.

Goalkeeper Audero injured - Photo: PA

But the Indonesian Football Federation’s plans are constantly facing challenges. Three months ago, the team’s main striker Ole Romeny suffered a serious injury in a friendly match at club level.

The striker, who plays for Oxford FC in England, is confirmed to be on the road to recovery. Romeny's ability to play is still uncertain. And even if he returns in time, it will be difficult for him to regain his form after being out for 3 months.

Many naturalized Indonesian stars are now the pillars of clubs playing in top European leagues. Typical names include Kevin Diks (Monchengladbach), Jay Idzes (Sassuolo), Calvin Verdonk (Lille)...

But because of that, Indonesia is at a disadvantage compared to Saudi Arabia - a team with most of its players playing in the domestic league. They hardly spend time traveling to meet up.

Indonesia will face Saudi Arabia on October 8, before facing Iraq just three days later. In terms of schedule, they are also the most disadvantaged team in this group, with almost no rest time.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/indonesia-lien-tiep-nhan-tin-du-lung-lay-giac-mo-du-world-cup-20251004093050986.htm