The Indonesian men's national football team gave some World Cup hopes after a historic 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium, Jakarta, November 19.
The victory gives some hope for the World Cup 2026 dream after two consecutive defeats against China and Japan. Also, the result was Indonesia's first win in the AFC World Cup qualifier 2026 Round 3.
Marcelino Ferdinand was the Man Of The Match after scoring a brace in the 32nd and 57th minutes. Indonesia had to play with ten men in the 89th minute after Justin Hubner was sent off for blocking Saudi's set piece.
Indonesia is third in the AFC World Cup Qualifier 2026 Round 3 Group C, behind Australia—who was held to a 2-2 draw against the host Bahrain—and the current leader, Japan.
Here are the 'numbers' behind the exciting victory against Saudi Arabia:
16
Indonesia's win over Saudi Arabia ended the oil-rich nation's 16-year defeatless streak against Southeast Asian nations. Since 2008, Saudi Arabia has won 16 times and drawn four times against ASEAN nations.
43
The historic victory at GBK also marked the first win for Indonesia against Saudi Arabia after 43 years. Previously, Indonesia had met the three-time AFC winners 12 times and had never won.
Indonesia met Saudi Arabia for the first time on September 30, 1981 at the Lion City Cup. Indonesia lost 3-1 at that time, according to data from 11v11,
The best result Indonesia gained was a draw in 2011. Indonesia held Saudi to a goalless draw in the friendly match held in Shah Alam Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ahead of the AFC World Qualifier 2014.
23 vs 77
Ball possession does not guarantee a win for a team. Saudi dominated the whole game with 77 percent ball possession, while Indonesia reached 23 percent. However, Indonesia could overcome the visiting team.
Previously, the Indonesian U-23 football team did not dominate against Australia in the group stage of the AFC U-23 held in Qatar last April. Komang Teguh and colleagues only dominated 36 percent while the Olyroos's possession hit 64 percent. The Indonesia U-23 team won 1-0.
Read also: Kevin Diks Joins Indonesia's Squad: A New Weapon for the Crucial Match Against Japan
19.16
FIFA ranking calculator showed that Indonesia gained an additional 19.16 points after winning over The Eagles, climbing to the 125th rank.
While Saudi lost 19 points following the loss. If the game ended in a draw, Indonesia would only get 6.66 points.
100
Indonesian defender Rizky Ridho displayed his perfect defense by winning tackles and aerial duels 100 percent. The Persija player is still one of the best choices Shin Tae-Yong cannot miss.
6
Indonesia ranks third in the Group C table with 6 points (one win, two losses, and three draws). The result makes Indonesia the first ASEAN nation with the highest point in the AFC World Cup qualifying so far.
Indonesia still has a chance to get more points as it has four remaining matches in 2025; away matches against Australia and Japan and home games against China and Bahrain.
Several ASEAN nations have played in the AFC World Cup qualifier round 3 since 2014. Singapore and Thailand in 2014 gained 0 and 4, respectively. While Thailand in the 2018 edition earned 2 points and Vietnam in the 2022 edition got 4 points.
Indonesia's Upcoming Matches
Indonesia will continue the AFC World Cup 2026 qualifying round 3 matches in 2025. The Garuda will play an away match against Australia on March 20, 2025, before greeting Bahrain at home five days later.
Indonesia will host China on June 5, 2025, before flying to Japan to play the last game of the round in June.
