"Coach Shin Tae-yong returned to Jakarta a few days early from his vacation after the 2023 Asian Cup. He and his colleagues soon studied the opponent that the Indonesian team will face, regional rival Vietnam, on March 21 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium," Bolasport reported.
Coach Shin Tae-yong (left) and his colleagues in Jakarta on February 29.
The meeting between the Indonesian and Vietnamese teams at 7:30 p.m. on March 21 (Vietnam time) at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is the first leg of Group F of the 2nd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia. The second leg will take place 5 days later, when the Vietnamese team will host the Indonesian team at My Dinh Stadium ( Hanoi ) at 7:00 p.m. on March 26.
According to Bolasport : "Coach Shin Tae-yong and his colleagues have drawn up a list of about 27 players for the two key matches against the Vietnamese team. This list is currently kept confidential, but it is likely that there will not be much difference from the squad that competed in the 2023 Asian Cup, the tournament in which the Indonesian team entered the round of 16 for the first time."
"In addition, whether the Indonesian team will call up additional naturalized players who have recently completed naturalization procedures such as Thom Haye (Heerenveen Club), Ragnar Oratmangoen (Fortuna Sittard, both from the Netherlands) or Jay Idzes (Venezia Club in Italy's Serie B) is still open," Bolasport said.
Coach Shin Tae-yong
"The Indonesian national team players who have been called up will gather on March 17 in Jakarta. At that time, everyone will know clearly which players have been called up. There will be about 18 players playing domestically who will be present on time, the rest playing abroad will arrive a few days later," the Chairman of the Indonesian National Team Management Agency, Mr. Sumardji announced.
To Hanoi by private plane
"After playing the match against Vietnam on March 21 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, the Indonesian team will arrive in Hanoi by private jet the next day (March 22). And on March 27, we will return to Jakarta, after finishing the match at My Dinh Stadium," Mr. Sumardji emphasized.
"These are two key matches for the Indonesian team in their ambitious campaign for the 2026 World Cup. Since the 2023 Asian Cup, Indonesian fans are expecting their team to continue to win against the Vietnamese team (like the 1-0 win in the 2023 Asian Cup group stage), to go further in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and win a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup," Bolasport shared.
The Indonesian team defeated the Vietnamese team 1-0 in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup.
In the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, the Indonesian team is in Group F with Vietnam, Iraq and the Philippines. Coach Shin Tae-yong's team had two disappointing opening matches, losing 1-5 to Iraq and drawing 1-1 with the Philippines.
Indonesia is currently at the bottom of Group F with 1 point, equal to the Philippines but behind due to a lower goal difference. Iraq is at the top of the group with 6 points, while Vietnam is second in the group with 3 points after 2 matches and a goal difference of +1.
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