Kluivert's Indonesia to face Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying / Photo: YASUYOSHI CHIBA - AFP
-
Shock and sadness as Tomorrowland music festival opens after fire
-
Napoli sign Dutch international forward Lang
-
Westwood rolls back years on British Open return
-
UK to lower voting age to 16 in general elections
-
Sri Lanka returns orphaned elephants to the jungle
-
Russian deputies back fines for clicking on 'extremist' content
-
Ukraine's new PM: a deal-maker as head of wartime government
-
Britain seeks German help against people smuggling gangs on landmark Merz visit
-
Fake AI videos of R. Kelly, pope spread cult of Burkina junta chief
-
Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church kills two
-
Rare Gandhi portrait smashes estimate to sell for nearly £153,000
-
Syria troops quit Druze heartland leaving bodies on streets
-
South Africa warns global turmoil threaten development goals
-
Novartis first half net profits up 29 percent
-
Strike on Gaza's only Catholic church injures several people
-
Iraq shopping mall fire kills more than 60
-
Taipei holds air raid drill to prepare for Chinese attack
-
Migration, defence on agenda for German chancellor's first UK visit
-
Swatch profits plunge on weak China sales
-
Kluivert's Indonesia to face Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying
-
EasyJet boss hits out over French air traffic walkouts
-
Stocks extend Wall St gains, 7-Eleven owner plunges
-
Wallabies Tupou, Daugunu added to Pasifika squad for Lions clash
-
New Zealand, France make mass changes to sides for third Test
-
54 people killed in 24-hours of heavy monsoon rain in Pakistan
-
'I thought I was going to die': sailor recounts Huthi attack in Red Sea
-
Three dead as South Korean region hit by most rain in 120 years
-
Lions leave out Farrell, Pollock for first Australia Test
-
Asian stocks extend Wall St gains, 7-Eleven owner plunges
-
Volvo Cars swings into loss on electric vehicles, tariffs
-
US senators approve $9 billion of Elon Musk's federal cuts
-
'Proud' Litton lauds Bangladesh's T20 triumph in Sri Lanka
-
French army to leave Senegal amid Africa downsizing
-
Farrell, Pollock miss out from Lions team named to face Australia
-
Chinese farmer makes splash with homemade submarine
-
Dairy giant New Zealand endures butter price shock
-
Taiwan's TSMC says second quarter profit up 60%
-
Schmidt backs 'scavenger' Champion De Crespigny against Lions
-
Leaking pipes as climate warms: Bulgaria faces water crisis
-
Syria says local factions to secure violence-hit Sweida
-
Air India probe of Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues
-
Lead actors announced for 'Legend of Zelda' movie
-
China moves to tame 'irrational competition' as EV price war persists
-
Champion De Crespigny handed surprise Wallabies debut in Lions Test
-
'Shop local': Bad Bunny brings tourism surge to Puerto Rico
-
Japan's Sega eyes return to 1990s gaming glory
-
Asian stocks struggle as traders eye Fed saga, trade war
-
McIlroy on home turf as Scheffler seeks satisfaction at British Open
-
Messi's multi-goal streak ends as Cincinnati beats Miami 3-0
-
Merz makes first trip to London amid warming post-Brexit ties
Kluivert's Indonesia to face Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying
Patrick Kuivert's Indonesia were on Thursday handed a tough draw for the final round of Asian qualifying as they try to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1938.
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.
F.Schneider--AMWN