JFA Intervenes, Reminds Japan To Meet The Indonesian National Team In The 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

The Japanese national team will face Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup Qualification (Instagram/@japanfootballassociation).

JAKARTA - The Japanese Football Association (JFA) does not hesitate to intervene in providing advice to Blue Samurai troops. This is related to the agenda of those who will meet the Indonesian national team in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification in the Asian Zone.

On that agenda, Japan and Indonesia are both in Group C with Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and China. The existence of Indonesia, which is in the same group as Japan, is the concern of JFA.

If you look at the previous meeting record in the 2023 Asian Cup, January 2024, the Indonesian national team is considered to be a tough opponent for Japan.

At that time, the unseeded Garuda squad was able to put up a fight even though in the end Japan won with a score of 3-1.

The two countries will meet again in the Third Round of the 2026 Asian Zone World Cup Qualification which starts in September 2024.iron Mitoma and his friends will travel first to the headquarters of the Indonesian national team on November 14, 2024.

After that, it will be Japan's turn to face the Indonesian national team on June 10, 2025. The Director of the Japan Football Federation (JFA) National Team, Masakuni Yamamoto, revealed that all opponents of Group C cannot be underestimated.

Yamamoto said Japan must be vigilant and focused in every match in order to win.

"Our first impression is that we are in a very difficult and challenging group," Yamamoto was quoted as saying on Harimau Malaya's YouTube account on Monday, July 22, 2024.

The Indonesian national team later became an opponent that was quite taken into account by JFA in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification. Moreover, on that agenda, the Garuda Squad will return to the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (SUGBK) which is their home.

For Yamamoto, competing in Jakarta will be a challenge for Hajime Moriyasu's squad.

"So the match in Jakarta against the Indonesian national team will be a very, very challenging match for us," he said.

One of the factors that made him nervous ahead of the meeting against Indonesia was the support of the host supporters. According to him, the atmosphere of the GBK Stadium will be very challenging for Japanese players who come to Jakarta.

"Then we found out that the spirit of supporters of the Indonesian national team was very excited. It was also very difficult for us," he said.

He also knows that Indonesian football has been developing in recent times. Therefore, he asked Moriyasu's team to prepare themselves as well as possible to pick up full points, aka victory.

"We also know how fast the Indonesian national team has developed lately. We predict a very difficult and challenging match against the Indonesian national team," he said.