Saudi Arabia team puts Indonesia in a difficult position

Saudi Arabia players celebrate after drawing with Japan.

At Saitama Stadium, the Saudi Arabia team under coach Hervé Renard held Japan to a goalless draw in the eighth match of Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

A point from this match opens up opportunities for Saudi Arabia in the race for a ticket to the biggest football festival on the planet. In the last match, Japan, despite officially winning a ticket in Group C, was still rated much higher than the away team. The "Samurai Blue" controlled 78% of the ball, but had difficulty penetrating the Saudi Arabian defense. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia came to Japan with the goal of earning a point and they succeeded.

The draw against Japan - the team rated as the top team in the group - gave Saudi Arabia a significant advantage in the increasingly fierce competition in Group C. With 10 points after 8 matches, Saudi Arabia temporarily rose to third place in the rankings, far ahead of the two teams behind Indonesia and Bahrain (both 6 points).

This result forced Indonesia to beat Bahrain in the match that took place a few hours later, to keep their hopes of advancing in Group C alive. Otherwise, the team from the archipelago country would even risk not being able to participate in the play-off round, let alone dream of winning a direct ticket.

Coach Hervé Renard's team is holding a big advantage in winning a ticket to the fourth qualifying round of the Asian region, while still hoping to compete for the remaining direct ticket with Australia (13 points).

Since coach Renard's return, the West Asian team has improved their playing style and shown a strong fighting spirit, far different from under coach Roberto Mancini.

Source: https://znews.vn/tuyen-saudi-arabia-day-indonesia-vao-the-kho-post1540814.html