When new coach Patrick Kluivert leads his Indonesia team out at Sydney Football Stadium for the latest instalment of the Merah Putih’s quest for a berth at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Finals, one player should have a better handle than most on the opposition.

Since September, Rafael Struick has been plying his trade with Brisbane Roar in the A-League, gaining a first-hand view of many of Tony Popovic’s Australia squad ahead of Thursday’s crucial Group C clash.

Little separates the two nations in the standings; Australia sit in second after six games, a point ahead of the Indonesians in the quest for one of the two automatic spots at next year’s Finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

With four rounds remaining in the AFC Asian Qualifiers ™ – Road to 26, every detail matters and the Indonesians will be hoping Struick’s ongoing spell in the A-League can help his team overcome a side the Indonesians have already faced twice since the start of 2024.

“We played in the Asian Cup and we lost 4-0, but that was at the beginning of this process,” Struick says of his first meeting with the Socceroos, a defeat in the Round of 16 of the continental championship in Doha last January.

“In that game, in the first 20 minutes we were very strong and we should have scored I think. But after that the Socceroos controlled the game more and you could see the quality they had to score four times."

“But the next time we played it was 0-0 in World Cup qualifying and, to be honest, I think it was a fair result. It could’ve gone either way. It wasn’t the best game from our side, from both of our sides but still the crowd was crazy.

“To get a point from that game was a good result for us, but I think going into the next game it will be difficult. I think we’re still the underdogs, but we have shown and we will show that we can get a result there. We will do everything to get the three points.”

The recent rise in Indonesia’s fortunes has been rapid, with players such as Struick at the heart of the leap to the sharp end of the continental game. The uptick in performances against nations such as Australia have highlighted the pace of the resulting improvements.

Born in the Netherlands with Indonesian ancestry, the ex-ADO Den Haag wide man was among the first of the crop to gain citizenship for the Southeast Asians in the latest effort to tap into the diaspora of the former Dutch colony intended to strengthen the national team.

Players such as Struick, Ivar Jenner and Justin Hubner were filtered into the team, raising standards and making the squad competitive at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 ™, where Indonesia reached the knockout rounds for the first time.

The move has not only transformed the national team, it has provided the players making the switch with new experiences in a nation well known for its passionate fanbase.

“I still really can’t believe it,” Struick says of how his life has changed since first appearing for Indonesia. “Two years ago I was just playing at under 21 level for Den Haag, sometimes between the first team and the under 21s.

“I got citizenship for Indonesia (in 2023) and that summer I played my first game. My second game there was against Argentina (in a 2-0 loss against the FIFA World Cup winners in Jakarta), playing against all these superstars. I think that was the craziest moment.

“But I’ve had so many crazy moments with Indonesia, because once I went there it’s been like a different world.:

“I was one of the first ones to join this process and when we were talking to (PSSSI president) Erick Thohir he had a very clear plan. He knows what he wants and if he wants something he makes it work.

“I think, to be in the middle of all this, it’s been good. If you’re in a camp and playing the games you don’t experience everything that’s going on because you’re so focused, but when I look back now, it’s crazy to do this.

“Five years ago I would never have imaged doing all this. Indonesia is a country that is really going up. It’s been steady, but this is only the beginning for us. It’s been going well, it’s been very positive but our goal now is to qualify for the World Cup.”

Indonesia’s World Cup dream has been further fuelled by an additional influx of overseas-born talent and performances have improved again.

No result highlighted that more than the 2-0 victory over three-time AFC Asian Cup winners Saudi Arabia in Jakarta in November.

“To be drawn in this group, with all these opponents, we knew it would be tough but we always believed in our own qualities,” says Struick of a group that also features Japan, Bahrain and China PR.

“Every opponent is a challenge for us, but I don’t think we’re less than any opponent, especially in the last few months with all of these new players and the qualities that they bring to the team.

“We now have six points and we should have won against Bahrain, we should have got a better result against China. We do think ‘what if’ we’d won those games.

“But we’re still in a great position in this tough group and we’ve shown that we can get results against those teams. We have four more games, we see it as four more finals so we’ll see what we can do.”

In addition to an ever-evolving squad, the Indonesians will go into the March matches  against Australia and Bahrain under new management after Kluivert was appointed to replace Shin Tae-yong.

Over a five-year period the former Korea Republic midfielder had been responsible for overseeing Indonesia’s climb up the FIFA World Rankings and growing importance on the continental stage, only to pass the reins to the former Netherlands and Barcelona forward.

“I had a good relationship with Shin Tae-yong because I started this journey with him,” says Struick. “He was always very honest and open to me, and he had belief in me that I could become a better player.

“I appreciate everything he’s done for me and he did a lot for the country. He had a very big impact for Indonesia and I want to thank him for that. And I think the whole of Indonesia is very grateful for that."

“But we have Patrick Kluivert coming in now and he’s a big name, he’s a legend and I’m very excited to work with him and to see what he can do. The decision has been made higher up and I think it’s a good decision, but we have to see for the upcoming games.

“But it’s not for the short term. For the future it’s also good to have some European coaches. I’m excited. We know it’s going to be different. I’m excited.”