Jakarta. Members of Indonesia’s national football team arrived home on Monday through the VVIP terminal of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, following their elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The squad, which included domestic league players such as Ricky Kambuaya, Ernando Ari, Rizky Ridho, Egy Maulana Vikri, and twin brothers Yance and Jacob Sayuri, returned to Jakarta after failing to advance to the final qualification round. Players who play abroad have gone back to their respective clubs, while head coach Patrick Kluivert and his coaching staff flew directly to the Netherlands.

“There are no coaches or staff members returning here. Patrick Kluivert and his team have all gone back to the Netherlands,” said Indonesia team manager Sumardji at the airport.

Public pressure has been mounting for Kluivert’s dismissal after Indonesia’s 1–0 defeat to Iraq in Jeddah on Saturday ended their World Cup dream. The result marked their second consecutive loss under the Dutch coach, following a 3–2 defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening Group B match.

On social media, hashtags such as #KluivertOut and #PatrickOut trended widely over the weekend, with tens of thousands of fans expressing frustration toward both Kluivert and the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).

Responding to growing calls for change, Sumardji said any decision regarding Kluivert’s future would be made after an evaluation meeting with PSSI’s executive committee (Exco).

“As for Patrick Kluivert, that will be decided in the Exco meeting,” he said. “I will speak honestly, what went well and what didn’t. I won’t hide anything.”

He added that after serving closely with the team since October 2023, he expects the federation to take a firm and transparent stance. “I ask my colleagues in the Exco to be brave and take a clear decision,” Sumardji said.

Despite the disappointment, Indonesia’s advancement to the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers remains a historic achievement, the farthest the country has ever reached in World Cup qualification.

PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir has publicly apologized to supporters while expressing pride in the team’s progress. “Thank you to all supporters, players, and officials for taking Indonesia to the fourth round of World Cup qualification,” Erick said. “It’s the first time in our history we’ve reached this stage. We apologize that the dream of playing in the World Cup has not yet been realized.”

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