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Indonesia beat China to keep hope of World Cup qualification alive

By Hoang Nguyen       JUN. 5, 2025

Indonesia climbed to third in Group C after defeating China 1-0 on Thursday, securing better chance to advance in the 2026 World Cup qualification.

Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta (GMT+7)
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  • 90'+6
    Victory for Indonesia

    Indonesia got three points with this 1-0 win against China and climbed to third in group C. This is China's fourth consecutive defeat in the group and they are still at the bottom, with little to no chance of advancing.

  • 90'

    The game has six additional minutes.

  • 87'

    Wei Shihao stepped on the right calf of midfielder Pelupessy with his boot. The referee showed the Chinese striker a yellow card. He was lucky to escape a red card there because that was a dangerous foul.

  • 83'

    Indonesia made two more changes in the midfield to enhance their defense.

  • 79'

    Indonesia's Kevin Diks was put in a great position to score but couldn't beat the goalkeeper. He then tried to score on the rebound, but missed.

  • 77'

    The official attendance for this game in Jakarta is 69,661, according to Al Jazeera.

  • 76'

    China subbed in another striker to boost their offense.

  • 73'

    Indonesia made two changes.

  • 67'

    China appealed for a penalty after a player went down in the box but the referee didn't call it. They played on as Serginho sprinted into the box and crossed the ball, which moved across the face of the goal with no player there to tap it in from close range.

  • 62'

    Sayuri tackled Liu Chengyu on the left flank and was booked. After that, China made their third substitution.

In group C, topped by Japan who have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, Indonesia are currently in fourth place with 9 points, a goal difference of -6, and 8 goals scored. They are four points behind second-placed Australia and one point behind Saudi Arabia.

If Indonesia win all of their remaining matches against China and Bahrain, they will reach 15 points. However, they will need Saudi Arabia to avoid winning any of their matches, and Australia to lose at least one of theirs, with the other being a draw.

If Indonesia win one match and draw the other, their chances of advancing remain, but it will be slim due to an inferior secondary index compared to several other teams.

Indonesia's most realistic goal is to finish in third or fourth place, positions that would qualify them for the fourth round of the qualifiers. Currently, they are three points ahead of both Bahrain and China, who will face each other in the final round.

Indonesia will guarantee progression if they secure four more points. They could even clinch their spot in the next round with a victory over China tonight, provided Bahrain do not defeat Saudi Arabia.

 
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