Indonesia fears being pressured, chances of winning a ticket to the 2026 World Cup are unpredictable
The inability to host a group in the fourth qualifying round of the Asian region puts the Indonesian team at a great disadvantage in their goal of winning a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
Indonesia team will be at a disadvantage in the goal of winning a ticket to the 2026 World Cup
Photo: Reuters
The President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Mr. Erick Thohir, spoke out quite harshly and requested the AFC (Asian Football Confederation), Qatar and Saudi Arabia (the two countries designated as hosts of the two groups), to ensure that the matches in this qualifying round must take place fairly and in the spirit of sportsmanship .
"We respect and welcome the AFC's decision to appoint Qatar and Saudi Arabia as hosts. Indeed, both countries have world- class football infrastructure and this will certainly create a competitive atmosphere. On that basis, I request the AFC and both host countries to maintain all matches in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, taking place fairly and in the spirit of sportsmanship," said Erick Thohir in a statement from PSSI on June 14.
Previously, on the afternoon of June 13, the AFC suddenly announced the appointment of Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the two countries to host two groups in the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, despite the unanimous objections of the football authorities of Indonesia, UAE, Iraq and Oman.
The AFC also decided that the draw for this round will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the organization is headquartered, instead of in Osaka, Japan as originally planned.
This is another change by the AFC, which initially announced that the fourth round of qualifying would be played at a neutral venue, with the draw taking place in Japan. But now the Asian football body has designated Qatar and Saudi Arabia, two of the six teams in the play-offs for the remaining two official Asian 2026 World Cup tickets, as hosts of the two groups. As with the draw in Kuala Lumpur, it is expected to be online and the three seeding pots have already been determined.
AFC biased?
These changes have received a huge storm of criticism from fans in Indonesia, as well as in the UAE, Iraq and Oman. They believe that the AFC intended to create conditions for Qatar and Saudi Arabia to have the advantage of winning the remaining 2 official tickets of the Asian region to the 2026 World Cup, leaving the remaining teams only a chance to compete for a play-off spot (into the fifth qualifying round, with the winning team participating in the Intercontinental play-off, competing for 2 wildcard tickets).
Indonesia beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 and drew 1-1
Photo: Reuters
However, PSSI President Erick Thohir said: "No matter where we compete, the Indonesian team itself must make every effort. We will try to prepare the team as best as possible, with full support from all parties.
We also believe that the matches will be fair, professional and promote the spirit of sportsmanship. This is a very important period in the history of Indonesian football. We want to make history and that starts with hard work from today."
The fourth qualifying round for Asia will take place from October 8 to 14. With 6 teams, divided into 2 groups, the top team in each group will win the remaining 2 official tickets to the 2026 World Cup. The two second-placed teams in each group will compete in a play-off match (2 home and away matches), the winning team will enter the Intercontinental play-off round to compete for a wild card.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/indonesia-ngo-ngang-vi-afc-thay-doi-vong-loai-thu-tu-world-cup-2026-185250614100841018.htm
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