Indonesia vs Japan: Futsal Asia Cup 2026 Semifinal – Road to the Final?

Jakarta – The Indonesian national futsal team faces a formidable challenge as they prepare to take on Asian powerhouse Japan in the semi-final of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026. Head coach Hector Souto has made it clear: reaching the final is the only acceptable outcome.

Japan will be Indonesia’s opponent in the semi-final on Thursday, February 5, 2026. While Indonesia is making its first appearance in the semi-final, Japan boasts four previous titles. The match will be held at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.

“Final. Now (that’s the target). The target now is to reach the final. I don’t know how. Of course, I have ideas, but now it’s not about the tournament anymore, it’s about reaching the final and trying to win the next match,” Coach Souto stated to reporters on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

“There’s no other option. It will be a fight. I hope we can compete well, keep the match alive until the last minute. I think if we score first, we’ll be closer to victory,” he added.

Souto acknowledges the significant challenge ahead, noting that Japan also defeated Indonesia in the quarter-finals of the 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup.

“The match will be tough, we are facing one of the main teams that has ever won this tournament. Iran has won 13 times, while Japan has won 4 times, so this is a really tough match,” Souto explained.

Team captain Mochammad Iqbal Iskandar echoed his coach’s sentiments. “As Coach Hector said, Japan is one of the best teams here, some of them also met us in Kuwait 2022. Tomorrow, as a player, I will definitely give my best for Indonesia,” he said.

Head-to-Head: Indonesia vs. Japan in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup

The historical record between Indonesia and Japan in this competition reveals a clear advantage for the Japanese side.

Indonesia and Japan have met three times previously in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup. The first encounter took place in 2002, with Japan winning 5-1 in the group stage while Indonesia was the host nation.

They met again in 2005, with Japan securing a dominant 7-0 victory in the Preliminary Round of Group E.

Their most recent meeting was in the 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup quarter-final, a closely contested match that Japan won 3-2. Indonesia took an early lead in that match, but Japan responded with three goals before Indonesia managed a late consolation goal.

Head-to-Head Record
2002: Japan 5-1 Indonesia
2005: Japan 7-0 Indonesia
2022: Japan 3-2 Indonesia

AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Semi-Final Schedule

Four teams have qualified for the semi-finals of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026, including the Indonesian national team. The schedule for Indonesia’s match against Japan is as follows:

The quarter-final matches, held at the Jakarta International Velodrome and Indonesia Arena, produced several exciting results. Iran overcame a deficit to win and advance to the semi-finals with a high score. Iraq also secured their spot in the semi-finals with an effective performance against Thailand.

Japan advanced smoothly to the final four with a dominant, clean-sheet victory. Indonesia, meanwhile, made history by reaching the semi-finals after a 3-2 win over Vietnam.

These results have set the stage for the semi-final matchups, with the winners battling for a place in the final of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026. The schedule is:

AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Semi-Finals

Thursday, February 5, 2026

15:00 WIB – Iraq vs. Iran
19:00 WIB – Indonesia vs. Japan

Venue: Indonesia Arena, Jakarta

The question now is whether Iqbal Iskandar and his teammates can advance to the final. Further coverage will be provided by detiksport editor, Lucas Aditya, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, during the detikPagi program.

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