Indonesia were held to a goalless draw by Malaysia in the second Group A match of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Monday, 28 September.
The result left both sides level on three points, with Malaysia remaining top of the group on goal difference and Indonesia in second. Singapore moved into third after beating Bangladesh 1-0 earlier in the day.
The draw was particularly notable for Indonesia, who played with 10 men for more than half the match after midfielder Thom Haye was shown a straight red card in the 37th minute following a VAR review.
Indonesia Defend With 10 Players
Malaysia had the numerical advantage for the remainder of the match, but were unable to find a way through Indonesia’s defence.
Before Haye’s dismissal, Malaysia had already created opportunities, with Faisal Halim and Nooa Laine both sending efforts narrowly wide. After Indonesia went down to 10 men, Malaysia increased the pressure but struggled to convert their chances.
Indonesia continued to threaten on the counter-attack. Dean James forced Malaysian goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi into a save, while Kevin Diks came close with an effort from a tight angle.
Malaysia also had opportunities in the second half. Paulo Josue and Fergus Tierney both sent headers wide, while Indonesia goalkeeper Maarten Paes made an important save to keep the score level.
Justin Hubner then produced a late goal-line clearance to deny Malaysia as the visitors continued to search for a winner.
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Malaysia Coach Praises Indonesia’s Defence
Malaysia head coach Tan Cheng Hoe acknowledged the difficulty his side faced against Indonesia’s defensive organisation.
“In the second half, their discipline and defensive organisation were very good, and it was very difficult for us to break through,” he said as quoted from AntaraNews.
Cheng Hoe said Malaysia knew Indonesia had a strong defensive unit as well as dangerous attacking players.
He also acknowledged the tactical challenge of playing against a team reduced to 10 men, as Indonesia were able to adopt a more defensive approach and rely on counter-attacks.
“Sometimes it is quite difficult to play against 10 players because they will change their tactics and become more defensive, relying on counter-attacks.”
Despite the missed opportunities, Cheng Hoe said he was satisfied with his team’s overall performance and praised the players for showing character during the match.
FIFA Ranking Changes After Indonesia vs Malaysia
The result also affected Indonesia’s position in the latest unofficial FIFA ranking calculations.
Indonesia dropped one place to 119th in the world, with 1,160.49 points after losing 0.68 points from their previous total. Malaysia gained 0.68 points and moved to 137th, although the Malaysian side remained below the Philippines in the ranking.
The rankings are not yet final, as other international matches can still affect the positions before FIFA’s official update on 9 October.
Indonesia had previously climbed to 116th after beating Singapore 2-0 in their opening FIFA ASEAN Cup match, before other international results affected their position.
