Saudi Arabia Stumbles in Indonesia as Japan Dominates China in AFC World Cup Qualifiers

Saudi Arabia’s 2026 World Cup qualification hopes suffered a setback after a 2-0 defeat to Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday, with Marselino Ferdinan scoring both goals for the hosts. The loss leaves Saudi Arabia with much work ahead in Group C, where the race for qualification remains intense. Former coach Roberto Mancini’s departure followed poor results, and now Herve Renard must regroup his squad after this unexpected disappointment. Despite the setback, the path to qualification remains open, with the group still wide-ranging.

Meanwhile, Japan continued their dominant run in the qualifiers with a commanding 3-1 victory over China. This win saw Japan extend their lead to 10 points, almost securing their spot in the 2026 World Cup. Koki Ogawa’s brace, along with Ko Itakura’s first-half header, put Japan in control, while Lin Liangming’s second-half goal for China proved brief as Ogawa sealed the win with his second.

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In Group B, Palestine managed to hold South Korea to a 1-1 draw in Jordan, with Zaid Qunbar’s early goal for Palestine being canceled out by Son Heung-min. Despite a late disallowed goal from Son, South Korea remains in a strong position at the top of their group.

Elsewhere, Iraq earned a crucial 1-0 win over Oman, while in Group A, Uzbekistan triumphed 1-0 against North Korea with a goal from Abbosbek Fayzullaev. Iran also triumphed 3-2 over Kyrgyzstan, maintaining their top spot in the group. As the qualification phase progresses, only the top two from each group will secure direct entry into the 2026 World Cup.