The Indonesian national team achieved a historic 2-0 victory against Saudi Arabia in the match held at 7 PM on November 19th. Thanks to this win, coach Shin Tae-yong's team enjoyed their first-ever three points in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Indonesia got off to a tough start against pressure from Saudi Arabia, as the West Asian side were also desperate for points to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive. However, a brace from Marselino Ferdinand secured the victory for Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. With 6 points (1 win, 3 draws, 2 losses), Indonesia became the Southeast Asian team with the most points in the third round of World Cup qualifiers, surpassing Thailand (2 points) and Vietnam (4 points) from previous qualifying rounds.
Coach Shin Tae-yong
However, coach Shin Tae-yong still expressed regret. He affirmed: "Indeed, the players executed their preparations very well. Right at the beginning of the match, Indonesia had clear scoring opportunities. Finding the opening goal shouldn't have been so difficult."
"If they had been more clinical, Indonesia could certainly have scored more goals than they did (2 goals). However, I am still very happy with this victory. Thank you to the Indonesian players."
The victory against Saudi Arabia also helped relieve pressure on coach Shin Tae-yong. Before the match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium last night, the South Korean strategist was under pressure because Indonesia had not won a single match in the first leg of the third round of World Cup qualifiers.
Nevertheless, those three crucial points helped Indonesia turn the tables. The team from the archipelago rose to third place with 6 points, just one point behind second-placed Australia.
Indonesia's victory marks a turning point in Group C of the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
According to coach Shin Tae-yong, the Indonesian national team is capable of finishing third or fourth to advance to the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
"We are getting closer and closer to our goal. The Indonesian team's target is to finish third or fourth in Group C. We have two more home games (against Bahrain and China). Therefore, this goal is entirely achievable. The victory against Saudi Arabia is a great motivation for the players to qualify for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers," Shin concluded.
The Indonesian national team will continue their World Cup qualifying campaign in March 2025, with an away match against Australia (matchday 7) and a home match against Bahrain (matchday 8).
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/indonesia-thang-tran-lich-su-hlv-shin-tae-yong-van-tiec-nuoi-dang-ra-phai-ghi-hon-2-ban-185241120083922642.htm
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