Jakarta. The Indonesian national football team is set to kick off their third-round campaign in the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers with a match against Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday or Friday at 1:00 a.m. Jakarta time.

The Indonesian squad has been preparing diligently for this away fixture. Maarten Paes, the FC Dallas goalkeeper, has joined his teammates in Jeddah, though he will be unavailable for the match against Saudi Arabia due to registration issues.

On Monday, the team conducted a training session at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, including Maarten Paes.

Head coach Shin Tae-yong expressed confidence in his players' condition despite the heavy rain during the training session.

"The players are in good shape, although it has been raining heavily for the past two days of training. It's quite unusual to see such weather in Saudi Arabia, but my main focus is on improving the players' performance," Shin Tae-yong said.

"Maarten (Paes) is in decent condition, though understandably tired after the long journey. I haven’t fully assessed his condition as he didn’t participate in the main training session," he added.

Shin Tae-yong is expected to stick with his preferred 3-4-3 formation for the match. With key defenders Justin Hubner and Jordi Amat sidelined due to injuries, Calvin Verdonk is likely to partner with Rizky Ridho and Jay Idzes in central defense, protecting Ernando Ari in goal.

The lineup is expected to feature Asnawi Mangkualam, Thom Haye, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, and Shayne Pattynama supporting the forward trio of Marselino Ferdinan, Rafael Struick, and Ragnar Oratmangoen.

Indonesia is placed in Group C alongside Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, Bahrain, and China. Of these teams, only Indonesia and Bahrain have never qualified for the World Cup finals. The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Indonesia advanced to the third round of the qualifiers after finishing as the runner-up in Group F, behind Iraq. Vietnam and the Philippines were eliminated in the earlier rounds.

Following their opener against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia will play four more home matches: against Japan on Nov. 14, 2024; Saudi Arabia on Nov. 19, 2024; Bahrain on March 25, 2025; and China on June 5, 2025.

Predicted Lineup for Indonesia vs. Saudi Arabia:

Indonesia (3-4-3): Ernando Ari; Rizky Ridho, Jay Idzes, Calvin Verdonk; Asnawi Mangkualam, Thom Haye, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Shayne Pattynama; Marselino Ferdinan, Rafael Struick, Ragnar Oratmangoen

Indonesia’s Squad for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers:

• Goalkeepers: Maarten Paes (FC Dallas), Ernando Ari Sutaryadi (Persebaya Surabaya), Muhammad Adi Satryo (PSIS Semarang), Nadeo Argawinata (Borneo FC)
• Defenders: Justin Hubner (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rizky Ridho (Persija Jakarta), Muhammad Ferarri (Persija Jakarta), Wahyu Prasetyo (Malut United), Calvin Verdonk (NEC Nijmegen), Jay Idzes (Venezia), Sandy Walsh (KV Mechelen), Shayne Pattynama (KAS Eupen), Asnawi Mangkualam (Port FC), Pratama Arhan (Suwon FC)
• Midfielders: Nathan Tjoe-A-On (Swansea City), Thom Haye (-), Ivar Jenner (Jong Utrecht, Netherlands), Ricky Kambuaya (Dewa United), Egy Maulana Vikri (Dewa United), Witan Sulaeman (Persija Jakarta)
• Forwards: Marselino Ferdinan (Oxford United), Dimas Drajad (Persib Bandung), Rafael Struick (ADO Den Haag), Ragnar Oratmangoen (FCV Dender), Ramadhan Sananta (Persis Solo), Hokky Caraka (PSS Sleman)

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