Striker Mauro Zijlstra has been officially recalled to the Indonesian national team, ready for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia. This information was announced by the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) yesterday (September 24), bringing excitement to Garuda fans.
Zijlstra, who plays for Dutch club FC Volendam, will be one of the key attacking players for the Indonesian national team in the upcoming important campaign. Immediately after the list of 28 players was announced, Zijlstra shared on his Instagram Story: "See you in October", expressing his eagerness to contribute to the national team.
Zijlstra is looking forward to playing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers (Photo: Bola).
Mauro Zijlstra's presence will enrich the Indonesian team's attack, which already has quality names such as Ragnar Oratmangoen, Miliano Jonathans, Egy Maulana Vikri, Yakob Sayuri, Ole Romeny and Ramadhan Sananta.
For Mauro Zijlstra and Miliano Jonathans, the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in October will be their first official match with the Indonesian national team. Both players previously made their unofficial debuts in two friendlies in Surabaya in September, against Taiwan and Lebanon.
Zijlstra and Jonathans have both completed the process of becoming Indonesian citizens. Zijlstra took the oath on August 30, while Jonathans officially became an Indonesian citizen on September 3.
In Indonesia’s 6-0 win over Taiwan at the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium on September 5, both Mauro Zijlstra and Miliano Jonathans came off the bench. Zijlstra even put the ball in the net for Taiwan shortly after coming on, but the goal was disallowed for pushing. Miliano Jonathans also caught the eye with a series of dribbling runs, though he failed to score.
Zijlstra brings new options to Indonesia's attack (Photo: Getty).
The two players were then given a start in the second friendly match, when the Indonesian team drew 0-0 with Lebanon on September 8. The services of Mauro Zijlstra and Miliano Jonathans are expected to play an important role in the upcoming difficult challenges.
Mauro Zijlstra was initially expected to represent Indonesia U23, and he could now be a replacement or even a formidable competitor to Ole Romeny in the striker position. There were concerns about Ole Romeny's fitness for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in October, after he underwent foot surgery following an injury sustained in the 2025 President's Cup. However, head coach Patrick Kluivert still decided to include Ole Romeny in the latest squad.
The Indonesian national team is scheduled to begin its campaign in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers against host Saudi Arabia on October 8 at King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah. Three days later, Indonesia will face Iraq. To qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, the Indonesian team needs to top Group B in this fourth round of qualifiers.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ngoi-sao-nhap-tich-indonesia-hao-huc-du-vong-loai-world-cup-20250925091804592.htm
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