Jakarta. Indonesia’s national football team will play Taiwan in a FIFA Match Day friendly on September 5, 2025, at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium in Surabaya, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) confirmed on Wednesday.

The fixture replaces a planned match against Kuwait, which pulled out of its Indonesia commitment to face Syria instead.

PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir expressed disappointment at Kuwait’s decision but thanked Taiwan for stepping in on short notice. “With such limited time, I appreciate that another country is willing to help us arrange this friendly,” Erick said during a football photo exhibition in Jakarta.

Indonesia will also play Lebanon on September 8, with both games serving as warm-ups for the fourth round of Asia’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where Indonesia is set to face Saudi Arabia and Iraq in October.

Erick stressed that Indonesia was not at fault for the cancellation, calling it Kuwait’s unilateral decision and suggesting the matter could be raised with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

He added that Taiwan had accepted Indonesia’s invitation and confirmed its readiness to play on the scheduled date. Tickets purchased for the Kuwait fixture remain valid for the Taiwan match, while refunds will be offered to fans who no longer wish to attend.