The Indonesian National Team Focuses On Face-to-face Match Against China Despite Mixed Feelings

JAKARTA - The Indonesian national team will face China in the fourth match of Group C of the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification.

The match is scheduled to take place at the Qingdao Youth Football Stadium on October 15, 2024.

Garuda's squad looked at the party with mixed feelings. They are still ringing over the controversial series against Bahrain.

In the October 10, 2024 match at the Bahrain National Stadium, the victory of the Indonesian national team disappeared due to Bahrain's controversial second goal.

Even though there are still those who block it, the Indonesian national team players must remain focused on looking at the next match against China.

This was conveyed by one of Garuda's squad players, Rafael Struick, through an upload on his personal Instagram.

"The mixed feelings about yesterday (against Bahrain, ed.). Let's focus on the next match," Struick wrote.

The same spirit was expressed by the captain of the Indonesian national team, Jay Idzes. The Venezia player also asked supporters to continue to support the Garuda Squad to achieve results according to the target against China.

"Thank you for your support. We will continue to move forward and never give up," Idzes wrote in Instagram Story.

The Indonesian national team had to forget the results against Bahrain and turn their attention to the match against China.

Shin Tae-yong's foster children certainly have high motivation ahead of facing the Bamboo Curtain country. The results of the match against Bahrain brought them to prove themselves to win their first victory in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

Currently, the Indonesian national team is in fifth place in Group C with three points from the previous three matches.