Indonesia goalkeeper showered with compliments for stellar performance against Saudi Arabia

In the 77th minute of the match on Thursday, Paes was slow to handle the ball and fouled Feras Al-Brikan in the box, leading to a penalty. But he made up for his mistake by guessing the right direction and blocked Salem Al-Dawsari's shot into the right corner. In the final minutes, Paes also saved Mohammed Kanno's dangerous long-range shot and beat Al-Brikan one on one.

The goalkeeper of Dutch and Indonesian descent finished his national team debut with 42 touches and five saves, after 18 shots from the home team. He contributed to Indonesia's first draw with Saudi Arabia in an official tournament, after 11 losses.

According to Indonesian newspaper Republika, the 36-year-old keeper received a lot of praise from domestic fans. Bola described Paes' debut as dramatic and at the same time, Indonesian fans got to witness his level.

"He made a serious mistake that led to a penalty then corrected it himself," Bola wrote. "He brought the audience a show with heart-stopping moments."

CNN Indonesia commented that Paes broke the heart of Saudi Arabia coach Roberto Mancini, as he denied at least three clear scoring chances.

Sports channel ESPN wrote: "Paes should have become the sinner that brings Indonesia defeat. But he turned himself into a hero, helping Indonesia get off to a promising start."

This is the first time Indonesia have entered the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. In the second qualifying round, Indonesia finished second in group F, beating arch-rival Vietnam and placed only behind Iraq.

Paes grew up in the Netherlands and used to play for Utrecht from 2018 to 2022 before moving to American club FC Dallas where he became the main goalkeeper. He completed the naturalization process and become an Indonesian citizen on April 30, 2024.

Initially, the 26-year-old goalkeeper was ineligible to play for the Southeast Asian national team because FIFA denied his transfer from the Royal Dutch Football Association to the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI). According to FIFA regulations, players can only switch national teams if they were under 21 when they last played for their previous team in an official match. Paes was playing for the Netherlands in the U21 European Championship qualifiers when he turned 22.

PSSI decided to appeal FIFA's decision, leading to a hearing on Aug. 15. Three days later, PSSI confirmed that FIFA had approved Paes to play for Indonesia.

"Paes' composure gives his teammates a sense of comfort and confidence," former Indonesian goalkeeper Wahyudi told Bola. "Now Indonesia need another good striker to compete for a ticket to the World Cup."

After the first round, Indonesia are third in group C with one point, same as Saudi Arabia. Japan took the lead after thrashing China 7-0, while Bahrain are second after a shocking 1-0 win over Australia.

In the next match on Sept. 10, Indonesia will host Australia at home at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.