Jakarta, Jan 8 (IANS): Patrick Kluivert has officially been appointed as the new coach of the Indonesian national team. The Dutch coach was contracted for two years from 2025 to 2027 with an option for a contract extension. The 48-year-old former striker inherits a side that is still within striking distance of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the Southeast Asian side sitting third in Group C of the AFC Asian Qualifiers.

"The Dutch football legend has signed a two-year contract from 2025 to 2027 with an option for an extension," the Football Association of Indonesia said in a statement.

After retiring as a player in 2008, the coach born in Amsterdam, Netherlands on July 1, 1976, immediately started his career as a coach. He started as an assistant coach at AZ Alkmaar, NEC Nijmegen, and Brisbane Roar. Then he became the coach of Jong Twente and won the championship title.

Kluivert was also assistant coach to Louis van Gaal in the Netherlands national team that finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In 2015, Kluivert was appointed head coach of the Curaçao national team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2017 Caribbean Cup of Nations qualifiers.

His last coaching role was in charge of Adana Demirspor in Turkey for five months in 2023. Before that, he was caretaker manager of Curacao in 2021.

Indonesia's next AFC Asian Qualifiers tie is a crunch trip to Australia, who are second but just a point ahead, in March.

The news follows after Shin Tae-yong had his contract as Indonesia's head coach terminated with immediate effect, the country’s football federation (PSSI) announced on Monday. Shin, who was appointed in December 2019, has been removed from the post with Indonesia sitting in third place in Group C of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 and only six months after signing a contract extension until 2027.