The Indonesian national team failed to secure all three points against Bahrain in their third Group C match of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers (Asia Zone). The Garuda squad were held to a 2-2 draw after a dramatic encounter at the Bahrain National Stadium on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Home side Bahrain took the lead in the 14th minute through Mohamed Mahroon. A perfectly executed free kick by Mahroon broke through the Indonesian defense.
But Bahrain's lead didn't last long. Just before the end of the first half, Ragnar Oratmangoen equalized for Indonesia, capitalizing on a rebound inside the penalty area. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) confirmed that the goal was legitimate and the first half ended in a 1-1 draw.
Indonesia turned the game around in the second half. In the 75th minute, Rafael Struick scored a stunning curling goal to give Indonesia a 2-1 lead.
However, Indonesia's lead was heartbreakingly erased in the final moments. In the 98th minute, Mohamed Mahroon scored again for Bahrain after receiving a pass from a corner kick to level the score at 2-2.
How can 90+6 = 99?
The end of the match between Indonesia and Bahrain was marred by controversy. The home team's equalizer in the dying minutes of the match became a major talking point.
Referee Ahmed Abu Bakar Said Al Kaf's decision to allow play to continue after the allotted time had expired raised questions. The extra time granted was six minutes, but the match ended well beyond that point.
The Indonesian national team lodged a strong protest, arguing that the referee's decision had put them at an unfair disadvantage. However, the referee ignored the protests and continued the match. As a result, a victory that seemed within reach slipped away.
The public, especially Indonesian netizens, reacted strongly to the incident. The hashtag #Wasit became a trending topic in Indonesia on the X platform with over 212,000 tweets, followed by the hashtag Ahmed Al Kahf (referee) with over 66,000 tweets at the time of this article's publication.
Bahrain Fined Ahead of Match Against Indonesia
The Bahrain Football Association (BFA) has been severely sanctioned by FIFA with a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs. The punishment is a direct result of the unsportsmanlike conduct of their supporters during the match against Japan.
Serious offences, including the dangerous use of laser pointers aimed at Japanese players and disrespect for the Japanese national anthem at the start of the match, are considered serious breaches of sportsmanship and FIFA regulations. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu strongly condemned the unsportsmanlike conduct of the Bahrain supporters.
Unfortunately, the controversy in the match against Indonesia didn't come from the Bahrain supporters, but from the referee, who was in full control of the match. Will FIFA take decisive action regarding this incident? Let's wait for the next decision and hope for the best.
