Indonesia stunned Saudi Arabia with a 2-0 win in Jakarta in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers Asian
goals in each half from Oxford United in the English second division helped the Southeast Asian nation, whose last World Cup appearance dates back to 1938 with the Dutch East Indies, to win on Tuesday.
It was Indonesia's first win in their history of participation in the third round of qualifying and put them level on points with their Arab opponents and China.
"I am very proud of my team and my country," said goalkeeper Maarten Paes. "Marcelino scored two great goals and we defended very well. We knew this game was important and the win gave us a lot of confidence. We are very close in our group.”
The game broke down late in the game, with the home team reduced to 10 men after Justin Hubner received a second yellow card for an off-ball incident, while Saudi Arabia rattled the post by midfielder Mohamed Kanno.
“Indonesia deserved to win this game,” said Saudi coach Hervé Renard. "We have four games left and it will be tough, but it will be tough for everyone."
Japan is on the verge of an eighth consecutive World Cup appearance after beating China 3-1 to give the team a 10-point lead at the top of Group C.
Samurai Blue has 16 points from six matches with four games left to play. They remain in Group C. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and China all have six points, the same as Australia, which can move three points into second place if it beats bottom-placed Bahrain on Tuesday.
Despite a 7-0 home win in September, Japan took 39 minutes to open the scoring in Xiamen thanks to a header from Koki Ogawa. Ko Itakura added a second goal before half-time.
Home fans were given a boost when Lin Liangming reduced the deficit early in the second half, but Ogawa headed home his second goal and Japan's third shortly after.
In Group A, Uzbekistan took a big step towards their first World Cup appearance by beating North Korea 1-0. The Uzbeks took the points thanks to a first-half goal from Abbosbek Fayzullaev, although Jong Il Gwon missed a late penalty for the Koreans, who play their home matches in Laos.
The top two from each of the three groups of six qualifiers automatically qualify for the World Cup while the six teams finishing third and fourth will advance to the next qualifying round.
Source: Al Jazeera
NEXT MORE
FIFA Club World Cup draw date set for 5 December
How to Watch Serie A in the US: Live Streams, TV Channels, and Fixture Schedule
How to Watch Bundesliga in the US: Live Streams, TV Channels, and Fixture Schedule
UEFA Cuts Ticket Prices for Away Fans in European Club Competitions
Real Madrid's 2024-25 Champions League Group Stage Schedule
Complete fixtures and results for the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League group stage
How to Watch Champions League in the US: Live Streams, TV Channels, and Fixture Schedule
