The Green Falcons have an impeccable record in their matches against the Southeast Asian side, winning 10 and drawing once as head coach Roberto Mancini looks to take Saudi Arabia to a seventh FIFA World Cup appearance.
Mancini’s side sealed qualification to this stage with a match to spare and even though they lost their final group game in the second round to Jordan, the Italian will be confident of clinching one of the two automatic FIFA World Cup berths at stake in the group.
The 59-year-old has included new AS Roma full-back Saud Abdulhamid and reigning AFC Player of the Year Salem Al Dawsari in a strong 31-man squad for the clash against Indonesia.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Maarten Paes is the only newcomer in Shin Tae-yong’s otherwise familiar-looking Indonesia squad that includes new Oxford United player Marselino Ferdinan and Jay Idzes, who plays for Venezia in the Italian Serie A.
Shin guided Indonesia to the runners-up spot in Group F of the second round, finishing eight points behind Iraq but more importantly, four ahead of Vietnam with the Korean realistic about what’s to come.
“For sure the target is to get good results and we will try our best. The ball is round and anything can happen but what is certain is that we will give it our all to achieve as much as possible,” said Shin.
