Indonesia national football ⁢team coach Shin Tae-yong expressed his pride in his⁣ players after the ⁤team ⁣tied with Saudi Arabia in ⁣the ‌first round ⁣of the third group competition of‌ the ‍third⁣ round⁤ of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The Indonesian national team secured a ‍1-1 draw against⁣ Saudi Arabia at the⁢ King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. Sandy Walsh‍ scored the opening goal for Indonesia in ‍the 19th minute, while Musab Al-Javir equalized for‌ Saudi Arabia‌ in the third minute ‍of first-half stoppage time.

Saudi Arabia missed a chance to secure three points in the second⁣ half when‍ Salem Al-Dosari failed to convert a penalty kick.

In other group matches,⁢ Japan thrashed China 7-0 in Saitama, while Bahrain edged out Australia⁤ 1-0 in Gold Coast.

Japan currently tops the group with 3 points from one ‍match, followed by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia with‍ 1 point each. ‍Australia​ and ⁢China are⁤ yet to secure ‌a point.

Coach Shin Tae-yong praised his team’s performance, saying, “The match was very tough for both sides, and the level between the two⁣ teams⁤ was very high. I am ‍proud of my players.”

He⁤ attributed the ‌team’s success to the collective ⁢effort of all members, stating, “One of the reasons for our success in getting⁣ a draw in this match​ was the contribution of all members of⁣ the team, as the attackers ⁤returned ​to support the defense, and the ‍performance in general was strong.”

Shin Tae-yong also expressed his admiration for Saudi Arabia’s coach, Roberto Mancini, but emphasized his‍ confidence in his own team. “I have a lot of confidence in my team and players, and I will ‌continue to encourage ​them to reach the highest level, because we will be the dark horses in this⁣ team.”

The second round ‍of group competition is scheduled to take place⁣ on Tuesday, September 10, with Indonesia facing Australia in⁢ Jakarta, China facing Saudi Arabia in Dalian, ⁢and Bahrain​ facing ⁤Japan in Rifa.

The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for ​the 2026 World Cup‌ finals, while the third and⁢ fourth-placed teams ​will advance to the fourth round to ⁢compete for two tickets ⁢to the World Cup and one⁤ ticket to the global playoffs.