The Indonesian National Team has proven its ability to create scoring opportunities consistently. However, Shin Tae-yong believes the margin could have been even larger against Saudi Arabia.
Indonesia secured its first victory in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers by defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0. Marselino Ferdinan’s brace led the Garuda squad to victory at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Tuesday night (11/19/2024).
The national team executed its game plan effectively and displayed solid defensive performance. Shin Tae-yong’s squad managed to unsettle Saudi Arabia right from the kickoff.
Indonesia nearly took the lead within the first minute of the match. Marselino Ferdinan’s attempt struck the post before being cleared by the Saudi Arabian defense.
Another chance came for Rafael Struick in the eighth minute. The Brisbane Roar player faced the goalkeeper one-on-one, but his shot was blocked by the keeper’s foot.
While these missed opportunities were offset by the eventual two goals, they highlighted a recurring issue: wasted golden chances. In other matches, these could prove costly.
In the previous game against Japan, the national team also missed an early golden opportunity when Ragnar Oratmangoen had a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper. After the 0-4 loss to Japan, Coach Shin Tae-yong lamented the missed opportunity, stating it could have changed the outcome of the match.
Even after the crucial victory over Saudi Arabia, the South Korean coach expressed slight dissatisfaction regarding the missed chances.
“We started well, had several good chances, and maybe we could have won by a larger margin,” Shin Tae-yong told the AFC website.
Despite this, the national team has gained new momentum heading into the final four matches of the third-round qualifiers. The victory over Saudi Arabia propelled the Garuda squad to third place in Group C with six points.
“We can feel it, the players can sense the opportunity. Through this result, we must draw great motivation and make our best effort to reach the next stage of qualification,” Shin Tae-yong added.
