Amsterdam – Aโค somber silence fell overโ the indonesian โขNational Team’s dressing room following their โelimination 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 defeatโฃ to Iraq.
Despite reaching the โขfourth round – a new milestone forโค Indonesian football – the loss marks another missed possibilityโ for the nation to compete on the world’s biggest stage. The defeat concludes aโข qualifying campaign thatโ generated significant national excitement โขand โฃinvestment, leaving players and fans alike to reflect on whatโ couldโค have been. The team will now shift its focus toโข readiness for the 2027 Asianโ Cup.
Zijlstra, currently back with his club FC Volendam, described the immediate aftermath โof the qualifying exit.”The dressing room โคwas โvery quite,” he told ESPN. “Some playersโข were emotional. Everyone wasโค like, ‘Thisโค is the last chance โขto qualify.'”
theโ forward added that head coach Shin Tae-yong and the team โcaptain addressed the players, offering words of โคencouragement and gratitude for their collective effort. “After that, the coach โขand captain gave other words. And thanked everyone as we have come this far together. Nowโข we will focus on the 2027 Asian Cup,” Zijlstraโ said.
Acknowledging the โdifficulty of their โคopponents,Zijlstra stated,”We knew it would be difficult,unluckily it didn’t work out.”