Kluivert's Indonesia to face Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying
Coached by former Barcelona star and Dutch great Kluivert, Indonesia will play hosts Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Group B of the fourth round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 finals.
Qatar will host Group A and face the United Arab Emirates and Oman after the six-team draw took place at the Asian Football Confederation's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Matches in both groups will be played in a single round-robin format in October in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The two group winners will join the six Asian nations already qualified for next year's global showpiece in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The two second-placed teams will meet in November, with the winner over two legs entering an intercontinental playoff for the final spot at the 48-team World Cup.
Indonesia have embarked on a recruitment drive of Dutch-born players and backroom staff to bolster their bid for a first World Cup finals berth since becoming an independent nation.
Jordi Cruyff, son of Dutch football legend Johan, was in February appointed technical adviser to the Football Association of Indonesia to work alongside Kluivert.
Indonesia last qualified for a World Cup while still under Dutch colonial rule and lost 6-0 to Hungary in their only match of that tournament, hosted by France.
They will face a difficult task against Middle East giants Saudi Arabia, who have home advantage and will be heavily favoured to top Group B.
The Saudis have qualified for the World Cup on seven previous occasions including the last two editions.
Iraq have only qualified once in their history, in 1986.
Qatar hosted the last World Cup in 2022 on their only appearance in the finals and will be favourites to top Group A at home.
The United Arab Emirates reached the World Cup one time, in 1990, while Oman have never qualified.
Australia, Japan, Jordan, Iran, South Korea and Uzbekistan have already secured their World Cup berths from the Asian confederation.
jhe/dh
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
20 minutes ago
- India.com
Not Dravid, Sehwag or Rohit Sharma, former India head coach reveals his top 5 Indian cricketers, they are...
Ravi Shastri made some bold choices when asked to name the five greatest Indian cricketers of all time. He had to pick from India's 93-year history in international cricket a journey that has seen some of the world's finest batters and bowlers represent the nation across all formats. Shastri named two of his teammates from the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, which included captain Kapil Dev and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, in an interview with David Lloyd, Alastair Cook, and Michael Vaughan on the 'Stick To Cricket' podcast on the Overlap Cricket YouTube channel. Shastri reveals his top five all-time Indian cricketers Three decades after his retirement, Indian cricket has yet to replace Kapil, who is still regarded as one of the best all-round players the world has ever seen. Gavakar's batting prowess is unmatched in his opinion. In Test cricket, he became the first player in history to score 10,000 runs. To complete list, Shastri selected MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar, all key members of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad. Sachin and Kohli are the players with the most hundreds, whereas, Dhoni is the only captain to have won all three ICC white-ball trophies. Ravi Shastri names Sahin Tendulkar as the greatest player The panellist then asked Shastri to name the greatest among them, to which Shastri responded with Sachin Tendulkar. 'Definetly Gavaskar. Kapil. Sachin. Virat definitely. I am looking at the most influential players of that era. Bishan would have been there but….. MS again. Bumrah is young. He has got cricket. I am saying the guys, who have almost finished their cricket. 70's Sunil, 80's Kapil, 90's Sachin, Dhoni and Virat. 'I would say (Gavaskar) Batting. Kapil fabulous player. Entire package, number one will be Tendulkar. Because of the expectations. Because of longevity. 24 years. Hundred 100's. He played every pace attack of that decade. He started with Wasim, Waqar, Imran. Then went to the Aussies, then the English attack. Pure technique-wise,' said Shastri. Ravi Shastri cricket career stats Shastri was among India's finest all-rounders, featuring in 80 Tests and 150 ODIs. He scored 3,830 runs in Test cricket, including 11 centuries, and claimed 151 wickets with his off-spin. He was also named Player of the Series during India's iconic triumph at the 1985 World Championship of Cricket.
News18
28 minutes ago
- News18
Paul Gascoigne Released From Hospital After Intensive Care; Recovering At Home
Last Updated: Gascoigne, 58, is recovering at home after a brief stay in intensive care due to a throat condition. He has battled alcohol addiction and mental health issues. Former England and Tottenham midfielder Paul Gascoigne is recovering at home after being discharged from hospital, following a brief stay in intensive care. The 58-year-old, who resides in Poole on England's south coast, was admitted to the hospital on Friday after being found semi-conscious by a close friend. He was later transferred from intensive care to an acute medical unit, where his condition stabilized. Gascoigne's management company, MNT Agency, released a statement confirming his release and addressing the cause of his hospitalization. 'Paul voluntarily went into A&E (Accident and Emergency) on Friday after struggling with a throat condition (not by ambulance) he has had for a while," the statement read. 'He is already back home and doing well." The former football star was reportedly found by his driver and personal assistant, Steve Foster, who acted swiftly to ensure he received medical attention. Gascoigne, affectionately known as 'Gazza," earned 57 caps for the England national team and played for several top clubs including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, and Everton. He rose to international fame with his standout performances at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, helping England reach the semi-finals, and further dazzled at Euro 96. Despite his footballing brilliance, Gascoigne's life off the pitch has been marred by long-standing battles with alcohol addiction and mental health issues. In 2020, he revealed that he had anti-alcohol pellets implanted in his stomach in an effort to stay sober. However, in a candid 2023 appearance on the High Performance podcast, Gascoigne admitted he was still struggling, describing himself as a 'sad drunk" and revealing he was living in a spare room at his agent's home. (with AFP inputs) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
36 minutes ago
- News18
Will Anshul Kamboj Make Test Debut In Manchester? Shubman Gill Gives Big Update
Last Updated: 24-year-old Anshul Kamboj was added to India's Test squad on Monday (July 21), and the Haryana-based cricketer could make his Test debut on Wednesday in Manchester. News18 24-year-old fast bowler Anshul Kamboj on Monday (July 21) was added to India's Test squad for the last two matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and the youngster could make his red-ball debut on Wednesday (July 23). According to India's Test captain Shubman Gill, Kamboj, who has 79 wickets to his name in 24 first-class matches played so far, is very close to making his debut in Manchester. The fourth Test of the ongoing five-match series between India and England will be played from July 23 to 27 at Old Trafford in Manchester. 'We have seen his (Kamboj) skill set. We have the belief that he can win matches for us. Kamboj is close to making his debut tomorrow. You are going to see whether it is him or Prasidh Krishna," Gill said during India's pre-match press conference on Tuesday (July 22). Kamboj, who made headlines last year for taking all 10 wickets in an innings of a Ranji Trophy match for Haryana against Kerala in Rohtak, last played a red-ball match in June 2025 for India A against England A. In that match, the Karnal-born pacer picked up a total of four wickets (2 in each innings) and also scored an unbeaten 51 runs in the second innings after coming out to bat at No. 9 in Northampton. 'Rishabh Pant will keep wickets in the fourth Test against England in Manchester," Gill said. Pant played as the wicketkeeper for only 35 overs in the third Test due to the injury, with Dhruv Jurel doing the duty for the rest of the match. In fact, Jurel had an underwhelming time behind the stumps during England's second innings, conceding 25 byes, and the home side won the third Test by 22 runs. The India captain has also backed Karun Nair even as he struggled to register big scores in the series. 'We think he is batting well. In the first match, he didn't play at his number. No issues with his batting. Once you are able to get to 50 and get in the zone. We are hopeful that he can turn it around, Gill said of Nair, who so far produced scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 in the first three Tests. view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 17:58 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
