​AFC Reveals New Kick-off Schedule for Indonesia's Matches Against Bahrain and Australia

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially announced the updated schedule for Indonesia's national team in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, with matches scheduled for March 2025.

In March 2025, Indonesia will face both Australia and Bahrain. The AFC has confirmed that Indonesia's team will travel to Sydney to take on Australia at the Sydney Football Stadium on March 20, 2025, with a kick-off time of 16:10 WIB.

The Indonesian squad will enter the match with positive momentum, having recently secured a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. They will also draw confidence from their earlier match against Australia, where they held the Socceroos to a 0-0 draw in Jakarta. This result provides a strong motivation for Indonesia to aim for a win in Sydney.

Five days later, on March 25, 2025, Indonesia will host Bahrain at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, with the match scheduled to kick off at 20:45 WIB. This timing is set to coincide with the month of Ramadan, which influenced the choice of the evening kick-off.

Indonesia must be cautious of Bahrain's strength, as the team, managed by Dragan Talajic, arrives with a boost after winning the 2024 Gulf Cup. Bahrain also dealt Indonesia a tough blow in their previous encounter, when Indonesia led 2-1 in Riffa until the final moments, only for Bahrain to equalize in the 90th minute through a goal by Mohammed Marhoon.

Despite the challenges, Indonesia will come into these matches with a new face at the helm. Patrick Kluivert has taken over as head coach, replacing Shin Tae-yong. The Dutch coach faces significant pressure to perform, as the team is under strong expectations to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. A poor result in both the Australia and Bahrain games would make Indonesia's path to the World Cup even more difficult.

2026 World Cup Qualifier Schedule:
- March 20, 2025  
 Australia vs Indonesia - Kick-off: 16:10 WIB - Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

- March 25, 2025  
 Indonesia vs Bahrain - Kick-off: 20:45 WIB - Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta