Fall against Saudi Arabia, Indonesia's direct World Cup 2026 qualification chance fading.

The Indonesian national team had to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's superiority in a heated Group B fourth-round match of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Thursday, October 9, 2025, early morning WIB. The Garuda squad collapsed 2-3 at the hands of host Saudi Arabia.

Indonesia initially caused a surprise by taking an early lead. The confidence of Patrick Kluivert's charges was evident from the first minute. 

Their bold pressure paid off in the 11th minute when VAR detected a handball by Hassan Al-Tambakti in the penalty area. 

Kevin Diks, stepping up as the executor, remained cool. His powerful shot into the top right corner gave Indonesia a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, that euphoria didn't last long. Just six minutes later, Saudi Arabia equalized through a long-range strike by Saleh Abu Alshamat that Maarten Paes couldn't stop. 

Disaster struck again in the 31st minute when Yakob Sayuri was deemed to have pulled an opponent in the penalty box. 

Feras Al-Buraikan converted the penalty perfectly, turning the game around to 2-1 for the hosts.

Entering the second half, Indonesia tried to respond. Kluivert made several substitutions to boost attacking power upfront. 

However, defensive lapses punished Garuda once more. In the 62nd minute, Paes parried a shot from Musab Al-Juwayr, but the rebound was immediately pounced upon by Al-Buraikan for his second goal. The score became 3-1 for Saudi Arabia.

Despite trailing by two goals, Indonesia didn't give up. Attack after attack came through combinations involving Ole Romeny, Thom Haye, and Eliano Reijnders.

Hope reignited in the 88th minute when the referee again pointed to the spot after another Saudi Arabian player handball. 

Kevin Diks, entrusted once more as the executioner, successfully reduced the deficit to 2-3.

The match's tension peaked in injury time. Mohamed Kanno received a second yellow card for vehement protest, followed by a red card for one of Saudi Arabia's officials. 

Regrettably, the numerical advantage in the final minutes wasn't enough to help Indonesia chase the deficit.

The final whistle blew, confirming the 3-2 scoreline for Saudi Arabia's victory. 

These three points solidify Saudi Arabia's position at the top of Group B. Meanwhile, Indonesia must recover quickly if they wish to keep their hopes alive for advancing to the next round. (Antara)