Jakarta –
Indonesian National team entered Group F in the second round of 2026 World Cup Qualification. Shin Tae-yong as coach of Garuda, he admitted that all his opponents were above Indonesia.
Garuda advanced to the second round after winning 6-0 twice in the two-legged match against Brunei Darussalam in the first round. According to the chart, the Indonesian National Team also entered Group F which contains Iraq, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Compared to those teams, Indonesian National team is the one with the lowest FIFA ranking. Referring to the ranking in July 2023 when determining the qualifying pot, Iraq is ranked 70th, Vietnam 95th, the Philippines 135th, and Indonesia 150th.
For this reason, Shin Tae-yong also acknowledged the superiority of his opponents. They all have qualities above Indonesia.
“Indeed, our opposing teams (in Group F) are better than us. So our preparations must be more thorough,” he said Shin Tae-yong to reporters.
The coach from South Korea called Iraq the strongest opponent. This Middle Eastern country does have the highest FIFA ranking, namely 70th when determining the qualifying pot.
“Indeed, in the away match against Iraq, they are definitely stronger than us. So the important thing is that the players have to be confident and even have the courage to play in the opponent’s area,” said Shin Tae-yong.
In the schedule that has been released, Indonesian National team will immediately face a tough challenge in the first match of the second half. Namely being hosted by Iraq on November 16 2023.
After that, host the Philippines on November 21, host Vietnam on March 21 2024. Then in turn host Vietnam on March 26 2024, host Iraq on June 6 2024, and finally host the Philippines on June 11 2024.
Interestingly, the group is not much different from the Indonesian National Team’s opponents in the 2023 Asian Cup. In the event, which was postponed to early 2024, Garuda was included in Group D which contained Japan, Iraq and Vietnam.
Schedule for the Indonesian National Team if they qualify for the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification Asia Zone:
1. Iraq vs Indonesian National Team, 16 November 2023
2. Indonesian National Team vs Philippines, November 21
3. Indonesian vs Vietnam National Team, March 21 2024
4. Vietnam vs Indonesian National Team, March 26 2024
5. Indonesian vs Iraq National Team, June 6 2024
6. Philippines vs Indonesian National Team, 11 June 2024
(aff/cas)
2023-10-19 07:40:15
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