Indonesia light up World Cup hope with win against Bahrain

While Indonesia could have extended their lead, their attacking players failed to capitalize on several chances. Nonetheless, the 1-0 win was enough to put them ahead of Bahrain in group C, with both teams now focused on securing third or fourth place to advance to the fourth qualifying round.

With Japan already topping the group and guaranteed a spot in the World Cup, and Australia defeating China to earn 13 points, both Indonesia and Bahrain knew that direct qualification through the top two positions was unlikely. Both teams started the match on Tuesday night with six points each, fighting for third place to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

Ole Romeny (number 10), who scored the only goal for Indonesia against Bahrain in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, and Marselino Ferdinan, who provided the assist, celebrate the goal on March 25, 2025. Photo by Instagram/@timmasindonesia

Despite a heavy loss to Australia a few days prior, coach Patrick Kluivert stated that the Indonesian players maintained their confidence and entered the match with determination. The home team quickly took control, pressing Bahrain deep into their own half. The match had an added edge, as Indonesia sought to avenge the 2-2 draw in Riffa in October 2024, when Bahrain scored an equalizer in the ninth minute of added time despite there were only six minutes.

Once the home team asserted their advantage, Bahrain struggled against Indonesia naturalized players. They were able to hold up well until the 24th minute, when Ole Romeny, who made his debut for the national team just days earlier, scored the match's only goal. This was Romeny's second goal in two matches, following his first in the loss to Australia. The 24-year-old striker capitalized on a pass from Marselino Ferdinan, who set him up to face goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla one-on-one.

However, Ferdinan's miss early in the second half, when he shot over the bar from a few meters out in another one-on-one situation with Lutfalla, kept the game tense. Had Ferdinan scored, Indonesia would have likely sealed the game much earlier.

Fortunately, Bahrain's attack failed to break through Indonesia's defense, with Rizky Ridho, one of the four changes made by Kluivert, playing a key role in clearing away most of Bahrain's dangerous chances. Ridho's strong performance helped Indonesia maintain their lead and secure the win.

Indonesia's expected goals (xG) for the match were 1.19, far surpassing Bahrain's 0.26, but they still missed another chance late in the game when Eliano Reijnders shot over the bar from close range after a flick from Ricky Kambuaya.

Although Bahrain had 63% possession in the second half, they were unable to break down Indonesia's defense. The 0-1 loss leaves Bahrain with six points, level with China at the bottom of group C. Indonesia, with nine points, sit fourth, just one point behind third-place Saudi Arabia, who drew against Japan, and four points behind second-place Australia.

Indonesia will face China and Japan in their final two qualifying matches, with the chance to secure a spot in the next round still within reach.