Coach Shin Tae Yong raised concerns before the match against China

2026 World Cup qualifying schedule in Asia

17:35 October 15: Japan - Australia

18:00 October 15: Korea - Iraq

19:00 October 15: China - Indonesia

21:00 October 15: Kyrgyzstan - North Korea

21:00 October 15: Uzbekistan - UAE

21:00 October 15: Jordan - Oman

11:00 p.m. October 15: Iran - Qatar

11:00 p.m. October 15: Palestine - Kuwait

01:00 October 16: Saudi Arabia - Bahrain

In the match against Bahrain, Indonesia unfortunately lost the victory when the opponent equalized 2-2 in the 90+9 minute. It is worth mentioning that the Organizing Committee only announced that the match would have 6 minutes of extra time, but the Omani referee, Ahmed Al Kaf, gave the two teams an additional 10 minutes.

HLV Shin Tae Yong nêu lên điều bức xúc trước trận gặp Trung Quốc - 1 — Coach Shin Tae Yong has not yet come to terms with referee Ahmed Al Kaf's unfavorable decision for Indonesia (Photo: Bola).

That made the Indonesian people extremely angry. They surrounded the referee and fought with the Bahrain team after the match. Not stopping there, the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) also filed a lawsuit against referee Ahmed Al Kaf.

Even before the match with China, coach Shin Tae Yong was still upset. He shared in a press conference: "We feel like we were robbed of points in the match with Bahrain. However, the whole team still needs to encourage each other and think about ourselves. We need to move forward. The next match will go well if the referee is fair."

The Korean coach also called on the referee to treat Indonesia more fairly. He added: "No matter what the result of the next match is, I hope the match will be fair and reasonable."

HLV Shin Tae Yong nêu lên điều bức xúc trước trận gặp Trung Quốc - 2 — Coach Shin Tae Yong does not underestimate China but is confident in Indonesia's ability to win (Photo: AFC).

Evaluating the Chinese opponent, coach Shin Tae Yong said: "Although the Chinese team lost all three recent matches, we do not underestimate any opponent. We will try to play well and show our inherent strength.

I hope Indonesia can overcome the power of China. Remember, their FIFA ranking is higher than ours. I think the chance of winning is equal for both teams."

The match between Indonesia and China will take place in Qingdao at 7:00 p.m. on October 15. Before this match, Indonesia was ranked 5th in Group C with 3 points, 3 points more than the bottom team China.

However, coach Shin Tae Yong's team is still trying to find the first victory in the third qualifying round of the World Cup after three draws against Australia, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.