Indonesia anxiously awaits ticket to the next round

The Indonesian team ended the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup with a 1-3 loss to Japan. They finished third in Group D and have to wait for the results of the other groups.

In the ranking of third-placed teams, Indonesia has 3 points, with a goal difference of -3. Among the third-placed teams, Palestine and Syria are definitely above Indonesia. The Chinese team only has 2 points and is definitely eliminated.

Group E and Group F still have one match left to play, the situation can change. The third-placed team of these two groups and Indonesia will compete for the two spots to go on.

The Indonesian team is still waiting for a chance to continue from the results of groups E and F.

In Group E, the positions belong to Jordan (4 points, sub-index +4), South Korea (4 points, +2), Bahrain (3 points, -1) and Malaysia (0 points, definitely eliminated).

Jordan and South Korea are certain to advance. Indonesia will have a chance if Bahrain loses to Jordan by 3 goals or more. If the difference is only 2 goals, the West Asian team will compare the number of goals and cards with Indonesia.

In Group F, the positions are Saudi Arabia (6 points, +3), Thailand (4 points, +2), Oman (1 point, -1), Kyrgyzstan (0 points, -4).

Saudi Arabia and Thailand are guaranteed to advance. Oman will advance if it beats Kyrgyzstan. If it draws, both Oman and Kyrgyzstan will be eliminated. This is a win-win situation for Indonesia.

If Kyrgyzstan wins, the Central Asian team will consider the goal difference with Indonesia and Bahrain (if they lose to Jordan).

The ranking of third-placed teams began to appear with the 2019 Asian Cup. This was the first tournament to increase the number of participating teams to 24. The AFC took 16 teams from the group stage. The top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed teams advanced.

The ranking criteria for the third-placed teams are points, goal difference, goals scored, fair-play points and draw.

Third-placed teams will be at a disadvantage in the next round when they face the group winners. For example, Syria will face Iran; the third-placed team in Group E or F will face Iraq; the third-placed team in Group C or D will face Australia.

Ranking of third-placed teams in Asian Cup 2023