The Indonesian national soccer team is set to meet Japan in the concluding fixture of Group C for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 17:35 WIB, held at Suita City Football Stadium in Osaka, Japan. This match will be decisive for Indonesia’s hopes of breaking into the top four, whereas Japan has already secured qualification to the World Cup finals scheduled next year across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Currently, Indonesia ranks fourth in Group C with 12 points from nine matches, trailing Bahrain in third place by three points. In contrast, Japan leads the group with 20 points, having edged out rivals Australia and Saudi Arabia in a fiercely contested group. Indonesia’s head coach Patrick Kluivert emphasized the importance of maintaining motivation and playing with freedom to achieve a positive result. “We want to show progress since I arrived in January and close the group stage with our best performance,” Kluivert stated ahead of the match.
Host nation Japan, under coach Hajime Moriyasu, arrives after a 0-1 defeat to Australia in Perth on June 6, 2025, halting their unbeaten streak dating back to February of the previous year. Nevertheless, Moriyasu views the experience against a strong Australian side as a valuable test. “Many new faces were given opportunities, and I want to see how they respond under pressure,” Moriyasu commented. He confirmed their primary goal is to secure a final victory to boost team morale.
Tactically, Indonesia is expected to deploy a 4-3-3 formation spearheaded by Ole Lennard Romeny up front, who has netted three goals during this qualifying campaign. Midfielders such as Thomas Rossi Oratmangoen and Mooy Williams are anticipated to provide balance between attack and defense. Meanwhile, Japan will likely field a lineup mixing seasoned veterans with debutants. Players like Hidemasa Morita, Takumi Minamino, and Kaoru Mitoma have drawn attention with their impressive performances throughout the qualifiers.
Beyond the result, this match offers both federations a final opportunity to assess squad depth ahead of the finals. Coach Kluivert believes that competing in a modern stadium environment will aid young Garuda players in building mental resilience. Moriyasu hopes his team can exhibit their trademark possession-based football at home but recognizes the need to improve finishing efficiency.
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