September 8, 2025 | 04:20 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian national team will face Lebanon in a FIFA Matchday at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya, on Monday, September 8, 2025, at 8:30 PM WIB (Western Indonesia Time). Coach Patrick Kluivert has indicated that he will maintain the same formation as the previous match when they defeated Taiwan 6-0 last Friday.
Kluivert played a 4-2-3-1 formation for the first time when facing Taiwan. He played Rizky Ridho and Jordi Amat as center-backs, flanked by Yakob Sayuri and Shayne Pattynama in the backline. When defending in their own territory, the formation changed to 4-4-2.
The system implemented by the former Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona player proved to work well. As a result, his team scored six goals, with Jordi Amat, Marc Klok, Eliano Reijders, Ramadhan Sananta, and Sandy Walsh finding the net, along with an additional goal from an own goal by the opponent. The defense was also solid.
Kluivert stated that the formation used in the victory against Taiwan will be maintained in the match against Lebanon. This was conveyed during a press conference held after the match at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium on Friday.
"And against Lebanon, of course, I don't want to change the system. I just want to perfect the system. Other things need to be improved," he said, as quoted by Antara.
He added that the players executed his instructions well. "As you can see, the execution of the system and what I asked of the players was executed very well," said the 49-year-old Dutch coach.
During the Indonesia vs Lebanon match, Kluivert is expected to stick with the same formation, but with his best players. He will still rely on Emil Audero in goal.
In the heart of the defense, Rizky Ridho is expected to be retained but paired with the new Sassuolo player, Jay Idzes. In the four-back scheme, Kevin Diks and Calvin Verdonk will flank them on the right and left, respectively.
Currently, Kevin plays for Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga, while Calvin plays for Lille in the French Ligue 1.
In the midfield duo, Thom Haye, now with Persib Bandung, is expected to start and will partner with Joey Pelupessy.
In the attacking midfielder position, Marselino Ferdinan, who has just signed a loan contract from English club Oxford United to Slovakian club AS Trencin for the next season, will start from the beginning after coming off the bench in the previous match.
For the wing positions, Kluivert is likely to play Ricky Kambuaya on the left and Miliano Jonathans, who performed well in his debut during the last 20 minutes, on the right.
In the striker position, Ragnar Oratmangoen, who has been absent from defending Garuda in three matches due to injury, is expected to play from the start. The FCV Dender player in the Belgian football competition has made 10 appearances for the Indonesian national team, scoring two goals since his debut in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in the second round in March 2024. His debut ended sweetly with a 3-0 victory over Vietnam at that time.
The match against Lebanon is a simulation for the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone, where Indonesia will face Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Group B in October. To qualify directly, Kluivert's troops must become group champions. If they fail and only become runners-up, the opportunity remains open through a playoff route in the fifth round against inter-confederation teams.
Here is the predicted starting lineup for the Indonesian national team against Lebanon:
Indonesia (4-2-3-1): Emil Audero (GK); Kevin Diks, Rizky Ridho, Jay Idzes (C), Calvin Verdonk; Thom Haye, Joey Pelupessy; Ricky Kambuaya, Marselino Ferdinan, Miliano Jonathans; Ragnar Oratmangoen.
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