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Vietnam's aspirations for progress in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers were dealt a severe blow on Tuesday as they faced a crushing 0-3 defeat at home against Indonesia. This loss marks the first time in 20 years that Vietnam has fallen to Indonesia on their home soil, significantly diminishing their chances of advancing to the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The match, filled with anticipation and high spirits, quickly turned into a display of disappointment for the Vietnamese side and their supporters. Despite a spirited start, Vietnam were unable to capitalize on their early attempts, leading to a match dominated by missed opportunities and defensive errors.
Indonesia opened the scoring in the 9th minute through a header from Jay Idzes, recently naturalized as an Indonesian citizen, capitalizing on a corner kick to take an early lead.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute when Ragnar Oratmangoen, another naturalized player, navigated through the Vietnamese defense to slot the ball past goalkeeper Filip Nguyen from a tight angle.
As the match progressed, Vietnam struggled to find a rhythm, with key players like Quang Hai remaining on the bench despite the team's need for creative midfield play. The decision by coach Philippe Troussier not to utilize Hai, even amidst a lackluster team performance, left fans and commentators puzzled.
The final nail in the coffin came in the dying minutes of the match, as Ramadhan Sananta scored Indonesia's third goal with a simple tap-in, sealing a historic victory for the visitors and leaving the Vietnamese team and fans in despair.
The aftermath of the match saw a visibly frustrated Vietnamese squad, with assistant coach Nguyen Viet Thang and head coach Troussier appearing to have a disagreement on the sidelines. The defeat, coupled with the earlier loss in Jakarta, left Vietnam's World Cup qualifying campaign in tatters, prompting serious questions about the team's strategy and execution.
World Cup qualifiers: Vietnam 0-3 Indonesia
