Khaberni - The Saudi national team will host its Indonesian rival on Wednesday at Al-Inmaa Stadium in Jeddah, as part of the first round of the second group matches in the Asian qualifying playoff for the 2026 World Cup.
Both teams, along with Iraq, are engaged in a strong competition in the group to decide the fate of qualifying for the World Cup to be held next year in America, Canada, and Mexico, where only the first place holder will secure a direct ticket to the finals.
The anticipated matchup marks a renewed meeting between two rivals who know each other well, as they have previously faced each other twice in the third group of the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the current edition, where Indonesia achieved a win and a draw against the Saudi team.
Al-Inmaa Stadium itself hosted the matchup between the two teams in September 2024, when the teams drew 1-1 under the leadership of former coach Shin Tae-yong, before the Indonesian team settled the second match a month later with a 2-0 win thanks to a double from Marselino Ferdinan, who will be absent due to injury.
On its part, the Saudi team, led by French coach Herve Renard, enters the match with the ambition of qualifying for the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time, benefiting from the experience of their coach who led the team in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
