Indonesia finished fourth in Group C in Asia’s 2026 World Cup Qualifiers with a 1-0 victory over Bahrain.
Indonesia secured a crucial 1-0 victory in Jakarta’s Group C qualifier against Bahrain in order to raise hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
Manager Patrick Kruibert’s first victory came in charge after losing his opening game 5-1 in Australia last Thursday.
Ole Romeny scored the only goal of the game in the 24th minute, latching onto a pass from Marceno Ferdinan before defeating the keeper.
The victory is the bottom of a group of six teams, with 4th-placed Indonesia taking 3 points, with six teams holding six points.
Japan, which has already secured qualifying for next year’s tournament, received a 0-0 draw by third-placed Saudi Arabia.
Australia combined the second spot with a 2-0 win in China, 2-0. There are three points from Saudi Arabia, but there are only seven points.
The top two teams are automatically qualified, with the third and fourth teams heading towards the playoffs, while the fifth and sixth are eliminated from the qualification process.
Indonesia’s late alternative, Tijani Rayjans, would have eased the pressure felt by the home side after a significantly improved second half exhibit from Bahrain.
After a cross from the right, Romeny’s cool first finish passed Indonesia the points to reach only the second World Cup final.
Their only previous appearance at the global football showpiece event took place in 1938, seven years before their independence from the Netherlands, when they were known as the Netherlands East Indies.
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