Not since their debut in 1938 has the archipelago, then known as the Dutch East Indies, appeared at a World Cup but, with the finals growing to 48 nations in 2036, efforts to return have quickly gathered momentum.
Nine players in the squad that defeated the Philippines at a sold-out Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta in June were born in the Netherlands, from whom Indonesia gained independence in 1949.
“It’s a boost for everyone that we can go to the next round,” said Amsterdam-born midfielder Thom Haye, who scored the opener in the 2-0 win over the Philippines.
After appearing at the last two iterations of international football's showpiece event, Saudi Arabia will be expecting to do so again, given the competition's expansion.
The top two in each group will pass directly through to the fifth round, but the Saudis face tough opposition in the form of Japan and Australia in their group.
After losing in the last 16 of the Asian Cup and finishing second behind Jordan in the previous round's group phase, the Green Falcons' ranking has taken a hit, as a defeat at home to the Jordanians and a draw in Tajikistan was costly.
Winning none of his first four games in charge was hardly an ideal start, but all will be forgotten if Mancini can lead the country to North America in two years' time.
Three points is an absolute certainty here against the rank outsiders in the section, Indonesia, who are the only nation to make it this far having started in the first qualifying round.
After beating minnows Brunei 12-0 on aggregate at that stage, Indonesia got the better of Vietnam and the Philippines to make it this far, finishing second behind Iraq in the previous round.
The side ranked 133rd in the world have only reached the World Cup once, 86 years ago when they competed as the Dutch East Indies, and they will be looking to stun Bahrain and China to claim fourth place in this group which would see them advance.
Indonesia's Dutch Legacy
After competing as the Dutch East Indies in their only World Cup finals appearance, Indonesia are using that Dutch diaspora to their advantage by strengthening the squad with players based in and around the Netherlands.
Maarten Paes has been called up for the first time and could start after the Dutch-born FC Dallas goalkeeper received full citizenship in May.
Three of the squad play in Holland, while a further three do so in neighbouring Belgium, and Swansea City's Nathan Tjoe-a-On was also born in the Netherlands.
A Challenging Matchup
On September 5th, 2024, Saudi Arabia will face Indonesia in the first round of World Cup qualification in Asia. Saudi Arabia is the clear favorite, and it’s hard to envision a scenario where they drop points at home.
The "Green Falcons" were Asia's first footballing pride. Thirty years ago, as World Cup debutants in 1994, Saudi Arabia made it out of the group stage. They have since appeared in five more World Cups (missing only 2010 and 2014), but managed only two draws and two wins, in 2018 and 2022. The "Red and Whites" (Indonesia) also participated in the World Cup, but that was back in 1938, where they lost their only match.
Indonesia fielded a decent generation by their standards at the turn of the century, playing in four consecutive Asian Cups from 1996 to 2007. After a long hiatus, they returned to the tournament earlier this year in Qatar. A victory over Vietnam, despite losses to Iraq and Japan (both 1-3), was enough for them to reach the knockout stage for the first time. However, they were then thrashed 0-4 by Australia. The "Falcons" (Saudi Arabia) had a much more confident group stage, earning seven out of nine points, but then faced South Korea. Despite leading, they conceded in the 100th minute and lost the subsequent penalty shootout.
Since the tournament, Indonesia has defeated familiar foes Vietnam twice and also the Philippines. Even a loss to Iraq didn’t stop them from advancing to the next round of World Cup qualification. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, continued their inconsistent form with a draw in Tajikistan and a home loss to Jordan, yet they still easily advanced to the current qualification round. However, there are growing concerns about Roberto Mancini’s leadership.
The Road Ahead
There are some issues in defence as former Swansea man Jordi Amat is suspended, and Blackpool's Elkan Baggott will miss out with injury, but Jay Idzes should start after becoming the first Indonesian to play in Serie A last week, turning out for newly-promoted Venezia.
Saudi Arabia possible starting lineup:Al Owais; Hamidou, Lajami, Al Bulayhi; Abdulhamid, Al Khaibari, Kanno, Al Juwayr, N Al Dawsari; S Al Dawsari, Al Brikan
Indonesia possible starting lineup:Paes; Ridho, Idzes, Hubner; Mangkualam, Ferdinan, Haye, Tjoe-a-On, Verdonk; Struick, Oratmangoen
Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines are the only sides Indonesia have beaten across the last 12 months, as Shin Tae-yong's side have won just four of their last 14 outings, and they could be seriously outclassed in this section
The Battle for Asian Dominance
Only once, in a friendly match in 2011, did the "Falcons" settle for a draw on the road. All other encounters have ended in their victories.
Despite Indonesia's footballing progress, they are still much weaker. At home, one of Asia's giants should comfortably win against this opponent with a "-1.5 goal" handicap (odds – 1.95).
