Indonesian fans collectively react after an easy 6-0 win over Taiwan

Despite the overwhelming victory against Taiwan, numerous Indonesian supporters expressed their discontent.

Originally, the Indonesian national team was scheduled to play friendlies against Kuwait and Lebanon during the September FIFA Days. However, the match against Kuwait was canceled, so Indonesia chose Taiwan as a replacement. Facing a much weaker opponent in every aspect, Coach Kluivert’s squad comfortably secured a 6-0 win.

Even without fielding their strongest lineup, Indonesia easily dominated the opponent ranked 172nd by FIFA, leading 4-0 by halftime. However, despite such a convincing win, a large portion of Indonesian fans were not satisfied. They felt the opponent was too weak, especially with upcoming matches against Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

A fan named Fadilah Alexander commented: "Believe me, playing like this against Iraq would be very risky, even though I know this was the second-string lineup. I don’t see solid defensive cohesion. The back four could face major problems if the two central midfielders don’t support them properly.

Another fan also expressed concern: "Don’t be too satisfied because much tougher opponents are definitely coming up soon." or "This opponent was chosen for the friendly but is really not strong. It was just a normal friendly match, so winning like this is nothing remarkable."

However, alongside opinions that Taiwan was a very weak opponent, some fans voiced their support for the Indonesian team. One fan commented: "Don’t underestimate the opponent; look at Iraq — they also used Hong Kong as a test match and only won 2-0." or "Whether they win or lose, they get criticized. The truth is the Indonesian team is still performing well. Just watch and stop arguing."

After the friendly against Taiwan, Indonesia will have one more match during the September FIFA Days against Lebanon. Then in October, the "Garuda" will begin their most important mission in the 2026 World Cup fourth qualifying round, facing two strong West Asian teams, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.