Players Praise Intensive Training Ahead of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

KBRN, Jakarta: The Indonesian national (Timnas) team defender Shayne Pattynama considers the preparation for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers to be ideal, following a week-long training camp (TC) in Bali. He believes the team’s preparation for the final two matches in Group C is significantly better than previous games.

"For the last match, players arrived straight from their club competitions and had only two days to prepare. Some arrived late, while others came earlier," Shayne stated in a YouTube interview on Timnas Indonesia, as quoted on Monday, June 2, 2025.

"Now, everyone is here, and we have more time to work on tactics. This is very beneficial, and we’re excited to give our best," added the 185-cm-tall player.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Indonesian team captain Jay Idzes, who emphasized the advantages of an extended training camp for improved performance.

"I think our preparation is going well. This is my first practice session, while some of the other players arrived earlier," Jay said.

"We're training better because we’ve had more time together. Compared to preparing for just three or four days, we’ve been working together for a week now," added the Venezia FC player.

The Indonesian national team recently concluded a more than week-long training camp at Bali United Training Center in preparation for the final two matches in Group C of the Asian Zone Third Round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Garuda Squad is set to host China on Thursday, June 5, 2025. Five days later, Indonesia will travel to face Japan’s Blue Samurai at Panasonic Suita Stadium in Osaka, Japan. ***

Translator: Diva Rifdah Rizkia Puspitaningnala

Editor: Sri Wahyuni