After the victory against U17 China in the opening match, U17 Indonesia entered the confrontation with U17 Qatar with the determination to win 3 more points to soon win a ticket to the quarter-finals. If they continue to win the match, the Southeast Asian representative will officially have a spot to participate in the 2026 U17 World Cup.
U17 Indonesia entered the game proactively and created many notable situations. The island nation team even got a penalty in the middle of the first half after the ball touched the hand of a Qatari player in the penalty area. However, from the 11m spot, Mathew Baker could not beat goalkeeper Mohamed Bakri.
Although not controlling the ball overwhelmingly, U17 Indonesia still created many dangerous attacks. However, the inaccuracy in finishing situations prevented this team from converting opportunities into goals.
Stepping into the second half, U17 Qatar showed effectiveness in counter-attacking play. In the 57th minute, Ayokunle Tokode opened the score for the West Asian representative after a quick combination on the right wing.
Just 9 minutes later, Dhiaeddine Benyatla doubled the score for U17 Qatar, continuing from an assist from Hadi Khalil. Two consecutive goals conceded put U17 Indonesia under a lot of pressure in the remaining time.
Coach Kurniawan Yulianto's team continuously changed personnel and increased pressure on the opponent's half. However, the attack of U17 Indonesia continued to disappoint when missing a series of good chances.
According to statistics, U17 Indonesia made up to 19 shots but could not score, while U17 Qatar only had 4 shots but scored 2 goals.
This defeat makes U17 Indonesia's chances of advancing more difficult. The Southeast Asian representative will have to aim for points against U17 Japan in the final match if they want to nurture hopes of winning a ticket to the 2026 U17 World Cup.
In the remaining match of Group B, U17 Japan defeated U17 China with a score of 2-1 to soon win a ticket to the quarterfinals.
