SYDNEY: Tony Popovic admitted Wednesday there will be a degree of unknown when his Australia side face an Indonesia team led for the first time by Patrick Kluivert in a World Cup qualifier. The teams meet in Sydney on Thursday in a crucial clash with both battling to nab second spot in Asian qualifying Group C behind Japan. With four rounds of games left, Australia are currently second in the group but just one point above Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China.

The top two are guaranteed a berth at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Indonesia held Australia 0-0 in Jakarta in September but both teams have since changed coaches, with Popovic replacing Graham Arnold and Kluivert coming in for Shin Tae-yong. Thursday’s game will be Barcelona and Dutch great Kluivert’s first in charge of the Southeast Asian nation, who are attempting to reach the World Cup for the first time since independence in 1945.

“We’ve analyzed Indonesia, we know there’s a new coach, we don’t know how he will set up,” said the former Crystal Palace defender Popovic. “Of course we’ve seen what he’s done previously in various jobs he’s been involved in in terms of the structure and shape that he plays. “But we have to focus on us and know that we can deal with any structure that comes our way.” The 48-year-old Kluivert’s coaching career has not reached the height of his playing days.

His last coaching role was in charge of Adana Demirspor in Turkey for five months in 2023. Before that he was caretaker manager of Curacao in 2021. Much of his coaching experience has been as an assistant, notably to fellow former Ajax and Netherlands player Clarence Seedorf with Cameroon in 2018-2019. Indonesia have turned to former colonial ruler the Netherlands in a bid to reach the World Cup, naturalizing more than a dozen Dutch-born players in the past few years. 

Popovic, who is missing key players in central defense, cautioned that patience may be required if Kluivert instructs his men to sit deep and defend in numbers. “We have to be prepared to do whatever the moment allows us and if it’s not on, be patient and wait for the opening,” he said. Australia face China away next Tuesday while Indonesia are home to Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Wataru Endo said Japan’s sights are set higher than just qualifying for next year’s World Cup as they look to become the first team to clinch their place on Thursday. The runaway Asian Group C leaders have been dominant in qualifying and can book their spot at the 2026 finals if they beat Bahrain in Saitama. A draw could also be enough if other results in the group go their way. Captain Endo said qualification is just the start for a team that hope to make a splash at next summer’s competition in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“Everyone understands that the third round of Asian qualifiers is not easy but we are aiming higher and not one of us is satisfied at this point,” the midfielder told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s because we have the targets that we do that this team has become what it is now.” Japan have won five and drawn one of their six games in the third qualifying phase and have a nine-point lead over second-placed Australia.

If they fail to clinch qualification against Bahrain they have another chance to get the job done at home to Saudi Arabia next week, and two more games after that. “I’m excited to be playing at home,” said Endo, who was an unused substitute in Liverpool’s League Cup final defeat to Newcastle on Sunday. “The team is very motivated and so am I personally. We haven’t had much time to prepare but we’re in good shape.”

Coach Hajime Moriyasu has picked a full-strength squad featuring several Premier League players including Endo, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma and Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada. “I want the players to show their individual quality as well as coming together as a team to give it everything,” said Moriyasu. “I want us to clinch our place at the World Cup and celebrate together with the fans.” Under Moriyasu, Japan beat Spain and Germany in the group phase of the 2022 World Cup, before going out on penalties to Croatia in the second round. They reached the same stage in 2002, 2010 and 2018, but are yet to go further.- AFP