Breaking: Indonesia Left Seeking New Opponent as Kuwait Pulls Out Friendly Match

BEKASI, August 25, 2025 – The planned friendly match between the Indonesian National Team and Kuwait during the September FIFA Matchday has been officially canceled. This was confirmed directly by the Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, who stated that the Kuwait National Team has withdrawn from the fixture.

In a media session this afternoon, Thohir announced that the Indonesian National Team will no longer face Kuwait in the scheduled friendly. The match was set to be held at the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium (GBT) in Surabaya on September 5, 2025.

Furthermore, an official letter received by PSSI explained that Kuwait has not only canceled the match in Indonesia but has also withdrawn from its participation in a tournament circuit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). No definitive explanation has been provided so far regarding their last-minute withdrawal from all scheduled competitions.

“We have received confirmation from Kuwait. They have pulled out of not only the match in Indonesia but also the tournament in the UAE. I can’t think of any specific reason, especially since all agreements had already been signed. There may be internal issues, and I do not wish to interfere,” stated Erick Thohir at the Garudayaksa Academy event in Bekasi on Monday (25/8/2025).

With this decision, the Indonesian National Team will likely only play one friendly match next month, against Lebanon at GBT on September 8, 2025.  However, Thohir emphasized that PSSI is still seeking a replacement opponent for the canceled fixture.

“As of today, I cannot yet announce who the replacement will be. We have also sent a letter to the AFC to, in essence, maintain good relations among member associations for future cooperation.”

“Naturally, I do not want to interfere in Kuwait’s domestic affairs, but this is certainly something that should be noted,” Erick told Times Indonesia.

PSSI also stated that they see the upcoming match against Lebanon as crucial preparation for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers, which begins in October. They hope to gain valuable insight from the match, especially considering Saudi Arabia and Iraq as Indonesia’s opponents in the upcoming qualifiers.