REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- PSSI General Chairman Erick Thohir will prepare the Indonesian national team to perform even better after closing out Group C of the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifying Zone Asia Zone with a crushing 0-6 defeat to Japan at Suita Stadium, Osaka, on Tuesday (10/6/2025).
Daichi Kamada (15', 45+5'), Takefusa Kubo (19'), Ryoya Morishita (55'), Shuto Machino (58'), and Mao Hosoya (80') saw Indonesia swallow its third defeat of Japan since 2024.
The crushing defeat also saw Indonesia close out the third round with four defeats and conceded 20 goals. Some of the goals were scored twice against Japan.
“We are preparing the team to be better for the 2026 World Cup Qualifier Round 4,” Erick said in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Currently, Indonesia is one of six teams already assured of a place to the fourth round alongside Australia or Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar from Group A, and Iraq from Group B.
Australia and Saudi Arabia are also scrambling for live tickets to accompany Japan from Group C. The two teams meet at Sport City's King Abdullah Stadium on Wednesday at 01:15pm.
One remaining ticket for the fourth round was won by Oman and Palestine from Group B. The two teams will meet in Wednesday's final match at 1:15pm at King Abdullah II Stadium in Jordan.
The fourth round is played next October at a centralized venue. A total of six teams were divided into two groups each containing three teams. The first match was played on 8 October, then 11 October for the second match, and 14 October for the third match.
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