Amsterdam – A somber silence fell over the indonesian National Team’s dressing room following their elimination from 2026 World Cup contention, according too striker Mauro Zijlstra. The Red and white Team failed to advance past the fourth round of Asian qualifying after a 3-2 loss to Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 defeat to Iraq.
Despite reaching the fourth round – a new milestone for Indonesian football – the loss marks another missed possibility for the nation to compete on the world’s biggest stage. The defeat concludes a qualifying campaign that generated significant national excitement and investment, leaving players and fans alike to reflect on what could have been. The team will now shift its focus to readiness for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Zijlstra, currently back with his club FC Volendam, described the immediate aftermath of the qualifying exit.”The dressing room was very quite,” he told ESPN. “Some players were emotional. Everyone was like, ‘This is the last chance to qualify.'”
the forward added that head coach Shin Tae-yong and the team captain addressed the players, offering words of encouragement and gratitude for their collective effort. “After that, the coach and captain gave other words. And thanked everyone as we have come this far together. Now we will focus on the 2027 Asian Cup,” Zijlstra said.
Acknowledging the difficulty of their opponents,Zijlstra stated,”We knew it would be difficult,unluckily it didn’t work out.”