Bulgaria national team coach Aleksandar Dimitrov has acknowledged Indonesia's squad as a tough opponent due to many players in elite European leagues. The statement came during training in Jakarta on March 25, 2026. Indonesia has finalized its 23-player squad for the FIFA Series from March 27-30 at Stadion Gelora Bung Karno.
Bulgaria national team coach Aleksandar Dimitrov praised the strength of Indonesia's squad ahead of the FIFA Series 2026, set for March 27-30 in Jakarta. During a training session at Lapangan A Senayan on Wednesday (March 25), Dimitrov said, “Indonesia is also a very tough team. We know they have 12 or 13 players playing in Europe, in strong leagues like the Netherlands, Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany. So, the quality of the Indonesian national team is quite high.” Named players include Jay Idzes (US Sassuolo), Emil Audero (US Cremonese), Calvin Verdonk (Lille OSC), Kevin Diks (Borussia Mönchengladbach), and Maarten Paes (AFC Ajax). Bulgaria ranks 87th in FIFA, Indonesia 121st, Solomon Islands 152nd, Saint Kitts and Nevis 154th. Indonesia faces Saint Kitts and Nevis at Stadion Gelora Bung Karno on March 27 at 8:00 PM WIB, while Bulgaria plays Solomon Islands. The teams could meet in the final on March 30. Meanwhile, Indonesia finalized its 23-player squad after cutting Dean James on advice from National Team Board Chairman Sumardji to coach John Herdman. Sumardji explained it as a technical decision to avoid a player on the bench, not due to passport issues as rumored by NAC Breda in the Dutch league. The squad gathered since March 23.
