Indonesia lost painfully to Iraq, the 2026 World Cup dream went up in smoke: Coach Kluivert is bitter

The 0-1 loss to Iraq in the early morning of October 12 ended the Indonesian team's dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

Indonesia changed tactics, but

Meeting the Indonesian team in the second round of Group B, the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, Iraq is highly appreciated. In the last 5 clashes between the two teams, the West Asian representative has shown a beautiful attacking style of play, winning all 5. In a broader perspective, since 1973 - that is 52 years, the Iraqi team has never lost to Indonesia. With those impressive statistics, coach Graham Arnold is very confident and only uses the second team, leaving important players such as Zidane Iqbal and Ali Jasim on the bench. At the same time, the number 1 star Aymen Hussein is also not registered because he has not recovered from injury.

On the other hand, the Indonesian team made two changes compared to the 2-3 loss to Saudi Arabia in the first round. In particular, the return of star player playing in Ligue 1 (France), Calvin Verdonk is considered the most notable of the Southeast Asian representative.

The Iraqi team (white shirt) does not have the strongest lineup in the match against Indonesia.

PHOTO: REUTERS

As coach Patrick Kluivert had said before the match, the Indonesian team completely changed their tactics in the match against Iraq. Instead of playing in a tight group, waiting for the opponent's mistake to attack, the Indonesian team continuously pushed up their formation and put pressure on them. According to statistics from Sofascore , in the first half, the Indonesian team surprisingly had better ball control (nearly 60%). "Garuda" also had more scoring opportunities than their Iraqi opponents, shooting the ball 7 times in this half. However, the Indonesian team's shots were not of high quality and all went wide of the goal.

Meanwhile, the lack of many important stars affected the way the Iraqi team played. Coach Graham Arnold’s players could not control the ball, only shooting twice. Like Indonesia, the Iraqi players all shot the ball off target, causing the first half to end in a 0-0 draw.

Indonesia (red shirt) made many changes in their playing style but could not penetrate Iraq's net in the first half.

PHOTO: REUTERS

After the break, the Iraqi team began to make many changes in the midfield, with expected stars such as Zidane Iqbal and Ali Jasim entering the field. From here, the game changed when the West Asian representative took the initiative, constantly putting pressure on the Indonesian goal. After many missed opportunities, in the 76th minute, Zidane Iqbal made a classy dribble and shot, opening the score for Iraq.

Conceding a painful goal, in the last 15 minutes, the Indonesian team tried to push up their attack formation. But unlike the first half, the Iraqi team's defense played with concentration, blocking all gaps, causing many difficulties for coach Patrick Kluivert's players. Despite their best efforts, Indonesia only had 3 shots in the second half, but none of them penetrated the Iraqi team's net, and had to lose the match 0-1.

The Indonesian team officially ended its dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup

PHOTO: REUTERS

Losing to Iraq by a narrow margin, Indonesia officially has no chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup. The archipelago nation lost both matches in the 4th qualifying round, finishing at the bottom of Group B. On the opposite side, Iraq has 3 points, equal to Saudi Arabia. In the final match, taking place on October 15, the Iraqi team will face Saudi Arabia to determine the top spot, thereby winning a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/indonesia-thua-dau-don-iraq-giac-mo-world-cup-2026-tan-thanh-may-khoi-hlv-kluivert-cay-dang-185251012043744849.htm