On the evening of November 19, the Indonesian team created a big surprise when defeating the Saudi Arabia team 2-0 in the 6th match of Group C, Round 3 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia. Both of Indonesia's goals were scored by Marselino Ferdinan.
This is also Indonesia's first victory in the third qualifying round. Before that, coach Shin Tae-yong and his team had 3 draws and 2 losses.
The three points earned helped Indonesia surpass the achievement of the Vietnamese team (4 points in the 2022 World Cup 3 qualifiers), thereby becoming the Southeast Asian team with the highest score in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Coach Shin Tae-yong and his students can still increase this record as they still have 4 matches left in the 2026 World Cup 3 qualifiers in Asia.
Facing a much higher rated opponent like Saudi Arabia, the Indonesian team was not at all confused. The home team deployed a reasonable and scientific defensive counter-attacking strategy. Although they only controlled the ball 23% of the time, the Indonesian team still had 13 shots, 2 of which were converted into goals by Ferdinan.
The victory over Saudi Arabia also helped Indonesia open up hopes of participating in the 2026 World Cup finals. The three points earned helped Indonesia have 6 points, temporarily ranking 3rd in Group C and currently equal to the second place (which can qualify for the finals) of Australia.
In the next round, Indonesia will face Australia on March 20, 2025. If they get a good result in this match, the chance of winning a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals for coach Shin Tae-yong and his team will be clearer than ever.
