The Indonesian national team shot to the top three of the Group C standings in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers for the Asian zone.
This cannot be separated from the impressive performance of the Garuda team, which beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the sixth match, which took place at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday.
The Indonesian national team also rose from 132nd to 127th globally thanks to this crucial victory.
The Indonesian national team rose to 127th in the world after earning an additional 19.16 points in the FIFA ranking. The team’s points increased dramatically from 1,115.94 to 1,135.1.
Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia match recap: Marselino is the key to victory
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The kick-off whistle for the Indonesia vs Saudi Arabia match was blown by Uzbek referee Rustam Lutfullin. At the same time, China’s duel against Japan took place at Xiamen Egret Stadium.
Marselino Ferdinan escaped the offside trap from Rizky Ridho’s pass. Unfortunately, his shot only hit the goal post. The Indonesian national team then failed to create opportunities from the corner that was then created.
Saudi Arabia successfully passed the Indonesian pressure and began to produce various opportunities. From a counterattack, Marselino Ferdinan put Indonesia ahead in the 32nd minute.
Entering the second half, Herve Renard decided to field Abdullah Al Hamdan to replace Mohammed Al Qahtani. Once the second half began, Saudi Arabia immediately tried to pressure the Indonesian national team.
The Indonesian national team then successfully doubled the lead in the 57th minute. Marselino again became the figure who broke into the Saudi Arabian goal.
In the 89th minute, Justin Hubner received a second yellow card. He also had to leave the field.
Hubner received a yellow card because he was considered to have committed a violation when the situation on the field was hot. The situation was hot because Ivar Jenner had just received a yellow card for protesting.
Match Recap: This was Indonesia’s first win in the third round of qualifying. In addition, Indonesia, which previously occupied the bottom of Group C, has now crept up to third place behind Japan and Australia with six points.
Indonesia’s next fixture in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
The Indonesian national team has completed six matches in the third round of Group C of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and still has four more matches left. The following is the schedule of Shin Tae Yong’s foster children after going through six matches in Group C.
The Red and White team’s adventure will continue in March next year. The Indonesian national team will have a away match against Australia on March 20. Indonesia will host Bahrain five days later, which will most likely still be held at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (SUGBK).
