Iraq shattered Indonesia's dream of reaching the 2026 World Cup

(NLDO) - Losing 0-1 to Iraq, the Indonesian team ended its hope of participating in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In the early morning of October 12, the Indonesian team entered the field with the mindset of having to beat Iraq, in order to gain an advantage before the opponent faces Saudi Arabia (the team that beat Indonesia 2-3).

However, the efforts of coach Patrick Kluivert and his team were unsuccessful and they suffered a 0-1 defeat to Iraq at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (Saudi Arabia), thereby officially ending their journey in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia .

Entering the match, Indonesia entered the game confidently, controlling the ball and performing many smooth combinations between Thom Haye , Kevin Diks and Dean Ruben James . However, Iraq's disciplined and experienced defense prevented the "island of thousands of islands" team from converting their chances into goals.

In the second half, coach Kluivert brought in Ole Romeny and Miliano Jonathans to strengthen the attack. Meanwhile, Iraq brought in former Man United midfielder Zidane Iqbal to replace Kevin Yakob.

The turning point came in the 76th minute, when Zidane Iqbal unleashed a low shot from the edge of the box, beating goalkeeper Maarten Paes , opening the score 1-0 for Iraq.

In the final minutes, Indonesia was forced to raise its formation to find an equalizer but was powerless against the opponent's solid defense.

After more than 100 minutes of play, Iraq still maintained the score 1-0, while Indonesia closed the qualifying round with two consecutive losses .

This defeat also means that Indonesia officially said goodbye to the 2026 World Cup dream . Iraq will meet Saudi Arabia in three days to compete for a ticket to the biggest football festival on the planet.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/iraq-khien-indonesia-vo-mong-den-world-cup-2026-196251012061817923.htm