Indonesia transfer clear in fourth spot in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia with 1-0 win in opposition to Bahrain.
Indonesia secured a vital 1-0 win of their Group C qualifier in opposition to Bahrain in Jakarta to extend their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
It was head coach Patrick Kluivert’s first win in cost after the previous Netherlands worldwide misplaced his opening sport 5-1 to Australia final Thursday.
Ole Romeny scored the one purpose of the sport within the twenty fourth minute as he latched onto Marselino Ferdinan’s cross earlier than beating the keeper.
The win strikes fourth-placed Indonesia three factors away from their opponents and China, who’re backside of the six-team group with each the fifth- and sixth-placed groups holding six factors.
Japan, who’ve already secured their qualification for subsequent 12 months’s event, had been held to a 0-0 draw by third-placed Saudi Arabia.
Australia comfortably gained 2-0 in China to consolidate second spot, the place they’re three factors away from Saudi Arabia however nonetheless seven behind Japan.
The highest two groups qualify routinely, whereas third and fourth head to playoffs and fifth and sixth are eradicated from the qualification course of.
Second-half Indonesian substitute Tijjani Reijnders blazed an opportunity excessive and large, which might have eased the stress the house aspect felt after a much-improved second-half show from Bahrain.
It was Romeny’s cool first-time end, after a cross from the suitable, that handed Indonesia the factors as they bid to achieve solely their second World Cup finals.
Their solely earlier look in world soccer’s showpiece occasion got here in 1938 once they had been often known as the Dutch East Indies, seven years previous to their independence from the Netherlands.
