March 30, 2026 | 10:32 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s national team suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat against Bulgaria in the final match of the 2026 FIFA Series. The encounter took place at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on Monday, March 30, 2026, with the Garuda squad conceding a first-half penalty converted by Marin Petkov.
For this final, Indonesian head coach John Herdman opted for several tactical shifts in his starting eleven. In goal, Herdman entrusted the gloves to Emil Audero. The defensive sector featured a back three comprised of Jay Idzes, Rizky Ridho, and Justin Hubner, while Elkan Baggott began the match on the bench.
The midfield was anchored by four players: Kevin Diks, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Joey Pelupessy, and Calvin Verdonk. Diks and Verdonk operated as wing-backs, actively supporting both the offensive and defensive phases. Up front, Herdman once again leaned on Ramadhan Sananta, flanked by Ragnar Oratmangoen and Ole Romeny. Notable regulars such as Maarten Paes, Jordi Amat, Donny Tri Pamungkas, and Beckham Putra did not feature in the starting lineup this time.
Indonesia controlled the tempo early in the first half, enjoying the lion's share of possession. However, Herdman’s men found it difficult to penetrate a disciplined Bulgarian midfield, which only began to effectively relieve the pressure after 15 minutes of play.
Despite their command of the ball, Indonesia fell behind in the 35th minute. The referee pointed to the spot after Kevin Diks was judged to have fouled Zdravko Dimitrov inside the penalty area. Marin Petkov stepped up and successfully converted the strike, handing Bulgaria a 1-0 lead. By the interval, Indonesia had recorded 53 percent possession compared to Bulgaria’s 47 percent, yet they struggled to carve out clear-cut scoring chances.
Entering the second half, Herdman introduced Ivar Jenner for Sananta, who had cut an isolated figure throughout the opening period. This tactical tweak injected more tempo into the Indonesian attack, though they continued to grapple with Bulgaria’s compact defensive block.
Further adjustments followed in the 60th minute with the introduction of Eliano Reijnders and Elkan Baggott. While these changes made Indonesia’s play more fluid, genuine openings remained elusive. Indonesia’s best chance arrived in the 72nd minute when Ole Romeny latched onto a searching long ball from Jay Idzes behind the Bulgarian line, only to see his shot rattle the goalpost.
In a final push during the last 15 minutes, Herdman exhausted his options. He brought on Donny Tri Pamungkas for Hubner and Beckham Putra Nugraha for Joey Pelupessy.
Bulgaria posed a significant threat in the 80th minute when Vladimir Nikolov managed to skip past Jay Idzes and Rizky Ridho to unleash a shot from inside the box, which Emil Audero did well to deflect. Indonesia had one last late opportunity through Rizky Ridho during a goalmouth scramble, but his effort was smothered by the keeper. By the final whistle, Indonesia remained unable to break the deadlock.
Starting Lineups: Indonesia vs. Bulgaria
Indonesia: Emil Audero, Kevin Diks, Jay Idzes, Rizky Ridho, Justin Hubner, Calvin Verdonk, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Joey Pelupessy, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Ole Romeny, Ramadhan Sananta
Coach: John Herdman
Bulgaria: Dimitar Mitov, Teodor Ivanov, Andrian Kraev, Zdravko Dimitrov, Filip Krastev, Petko Hristov, Marin Petkov, Martin Minchev, Martin Georgiev, Dimitar Velkovski, Christian Stoyanov
Coach: Aleksandar Dimitrov
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