China’s Coach Ready to Face Indonesia Under Patrick Kluivert’s Leadership

Branko Ivankovic, head coach of the Chinese national football team, has arrived in Jakarta with his full squad in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. This will be his first tactical encounter against Patrick Kluivert, head coach of Indonesia’s national team.

The upcoming match — scheduled in two days — will take place at the iconic Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, and is seen as a decisive fixture in the third round of AFC qualification.

Previous meeting favors China, new test awaits

In their last encounter, China edged out Indonesia 2-1, but both squads have undergone changes since that match.

Patrick Kluivert, who replaced Shin Tae-yong around five months ago, has managed the Garuda squad in just two international matches so far:

• A 1-5 defeat against Australia

• A 1-0 win over Bahrain

These mixed results leave questions about Indonesia’s readiness against more experienced opponents like China.

First-ever meeting between Ivankovic and Kluivert

The match also marks the first international managerial face-off between Ivankovic and Kluivert, adding extra intrigue to the already intense fixture.

China’s arrival yesterday signals the start of their final training phase ahead of the showdown, while Indonesia hopes that home advantage and crowd support will boost their performance in this high-stakes clash.