The Indonesian national soccer team faces an uphill battle to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after its loss to Australia last week, adding to pressure for a win against Bahrain in Jakarta on Tuesday evening.

The visitors were punished for missing an early penalty in Sydney as Australia ran out 5-1 winners on Thursday to inch towards qualification for the tournament next year in North America.

The Indonesians slipped from third to fourth in Asian Group C with three matches remaining, four points off the second place that offers automatic progression to the finals along with already qualified Japan. 

Indonesia missed an early penalty before a Martin Boyle spot-kick and a Nishan Velupillay strike inside a frantic opening 20 minutes did the damage at Sydney Football Stadium.

Thursday's game will be Barcelona and Dutch great Patrick Kluivert's first in charge of Indonesia, who are attempting to reach the World Cup for the first time since independence in 1945.

The former Netherlands and Barcelona striker has been handed the mission of taking Indonesia to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1938 and Thursday's clash in Sydney could be crucial to those hopes.

Japan have all but locked up top spot in Group C and Australia's hopes of securing the second automatic ticket to the finals from the group will rest on how they fare against Indonesia in Sydney and China in Hangzhou next week. 

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Popovic's hand was forced to some degree by injuries with regulars Harry Souttar, Riley McGree and Jordy Bos among five players from his last squad currently sidelined.

In the women’s singles, unseeded Putri Kusuma Wardani caused a surprise by defeating eighth-seed Supanida Katethong of Thailand 21-13, 21-11 in just 33 minutes, all in her All England debut.

TGL is taking small but confident steps in showcasing a unique, engaging and exciting product that is so refreshing and different from the traditional 72-hole individual competitions of which the PGA Tour is the benchmark.

The House of Representatives approved a request to grant three foreign soccer players Indonesian citizenship to allow the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) to register them on the team lineup for the next 2026 World Cup qualifier match against Australia on March 20.

With a packed schedule ahead, Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chair Erick Thohir highlights the importance of using two stadiums in Jakarta for national soccer teams.

The AFC has also received interest from Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Indonesia and a joint bid from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, reports say.

Fans are hoping the expanded 48-team World Cup will give them a chance to make the finals for the second time, where they would hope to do better than in 1938 when they travelled to France as the then-Dutch East Indies in the days before group stages, lost 6-0 to Hungary, and went home.

Sinner had tested positive for anabolic agent clostebol which the 23-year-old said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy.

The Belgian police reportedly arrested Nainggolan as part of its wider investigation into cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe, which was smuggled via the port of Antwerp and redistributed across the country.

The former Netherlands striker replaced South Korean Shin Tae-yong, who was dismissed on Monday with the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) chief Erick Thohir calling for better leadership.

The Dutch coach's introduction comes after the divisive departure of South Korean head coach Shin Tae-yong, who has left a pair of big shoes to fill after five years of leading the Indonesia team to significant achievements.

In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the PSSI announced that Kluivert will serve as head coach for two years, from 2025 to 2027, with the possibility of an extension.

The French soccer federation (FFF) told Reuters on Tuesday that Deschamps, who is France's longest serving national team coach, will not seek to renew his contract which expires in 2026.

Shin had been in charge since 2020 and took Indonesia into the decisive third round of qualifying, where they sit third out of six teams in their group.

Tens of millions of people in the Southeast Asian nation are passionate football fans, but Indonesia's sole World Cup appearance came during Dutch rule in 1938 and the country has rarely threatened a return since independence in 1945.

The 32-year-old Matsuyama was the star of the show in 2024 for Asian golf when he won twice on the PGA Tour to cement his stature as the winningest player from the region with 10 career victories.

Erick, who became chairman of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) last year, believes that Indonesia should at least be in the frame for a trip to the finals in 2026 with up to nine slots available to Asian teams.

The retirement of veteran Indonesian men's doubles badminton player Mohammad Ahsan marked the end of an era after his partner Hendra Setiawan also announced his retirement, ending the career of a pair known as The Daddies.

The racecar driver said it was emotional from the start of the season and his decision put a strain on his camaraderie with his teammates and team principal Toto Wolff.