Indonesia lost 0-4 to Japan at home on the evening of November 15. This result left the archipelago nation at the bottom of Group C with 3 points out of 5 matches. Meanwhile, Japan is firmly at the top of the group with 13 points.
The heavy defeat to Japan at home disappointed both Indonesian media and fans. “From the beginning, we aimed for 3rd or 4th place in the group to enter the 4th qualifying round. Therefore, we still have hope. Therefore, the Indonesian team will try their best in the remaining matches,” coach Shin Tae-yong shared.
According to the rules, the top two teams in each group in the third qualifying round will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, the third and fourth-placed teams in each group will enter the fourth qualifying round to compete for the next spots.
Mr. Shin Tae-yong emphasized that with the strength of the Indonesian team, it will be very difficult for them to compete for 1st and 2nd place in Group C. However, the opportunity for them to compete for 3rd and 4th place is still very open.
In fact, in Group C, except for the very strong Japan team that convincingly leads the group, the remaining teams are closely following each other. The gap from the second-placed team, Australia, to the Indonesian team is only 3 points. The positions of the teams in the group will change after only 1 round.
Meanwhile, President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohir still believes in the strategy that he and his colleagues have chosen, to improve the level of the Indonesian team with naturalized players, and seek opportunities to participate in the World Cup. Mr. Thohir emphasized that as the leader, he is ready to resign if the plan fails.
“We still have five games ahead, three home, two away. We need nine points to finish third or fourth. The question is whether the players believe in the PSSI project or not. Because if not, I will resign, because that is my responsibility,” Thohir told CNN Indonesia.
Even coach Hajime Moriyasu is confident in Indonesia's World Cup chances. He said: "I think coach Shin Tae-yong has done a good job despite his limited time coaching the team.
The Indonesian team has new players, making it difficult for the team to bond together because they do not have much time playing together. In the future, if we can naturalize quality players, Indonesia's chances of participating in the World Cup will be greater."
In the next match in Group C, Indonesia will continue to play at home against Saudi Arabia. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, Japan will play away against China – a team they won 7-0 in the first leg.
