Saudi Arabia held by rank outsiders Indonesia in 2026 World Cup qualifier
Saudi Arabia held by Indonesia in 2026 World Cup qualifier
Saudi Arabia made heavy weather of seeing off Indonesia in their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, needing a late goal to secure a 2-1 home win over the Southeast Asian champions.
The Saudis, who reached the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar, started as overwhelming favorites against a team ranked 151st in the world.
Al-Dawsari gives Saudi Arabia the lead
They took the lead through Salem Al-Dawsari's 17th-minute penalty but Indonesia hit back just seven minutes later when Marc Klok converted from the spot after a foul by Saud Abdulhamid.
The Saudis dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances and it was not until the 80th minute that Firas Al-Buraikan finally broke Indonesian resistance with a close-range finish.
Indonesia's spirited performance
Indonesia, who last reached the World Cup finals in 1938, gave a spirited performance and could have snatched a draw in the dying minutes when substitute Muhammad Rafli clipped the crossbar with a header.
The result leaves Saudi Arabia top of Group A with three points, one ahead of Uzbekistan who beat Palestine 4-0 in the other group match.
Upcoming fixtures for Saudi Arabia and Indonesia
Saudi Arabia will next face Uzbekistan away on March 26, while Indonesia will host Palestine on the same day.
The top two teams in each of the eight groups will advance to the next round of qualifying.
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