Indonesia captain points out the reason for the loss to Saudi Arabia

Captain Jay Idzes openly acknowledged that Indonesia was defeated by Saudi Arabia because of a lapse in concentration following the first goal, which led to the team dropping their lead and experiencing a disappointing loss.

Indonesia national team captain Jay Idzes confessed that facing Saudi Arabia in the opening match of Group B in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers was an extremely tough challenge. Despite their strong efforts, Indonesia still suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat against the West Asian team in the match held at King Abdullah Sports City on the evening of October 8 (early morning October 9, Vietnam time).

After the match, the central defender currently playing for Sassuolo (Italy) stated that his team failed to maintain the advantage after taking the lead. “In my opinion, it was a very tough game. After scoring the opening goal, we allowed them to score two quick goals consecutively. Things became very difficult for Indonesia from that point onward,” Jay Idzes shared.

He admitted that the entire team needs to review their performance to learn from the mistakes: “We will review the match and carefully analyze the errors. The important thing is not to lose fighting spirit. The whole team must learn from this loss to come back stronger.”

Although the result was not as expected, Idzes affirmed that the Indonesian team’s spirit remains resilient and focused on the next match against Iraq. “This Saturday, we have another opportunity. It’s not over yet. We must keep believing, give our best effort, and that is exactly what we will do,” he said with strong determination.

Additionally, the Indonesian captain expressed deep gratitude to the fans who have continuously supported and cheered for the team. “We have the best supporters in the world. Every player is thankful for the love and support they give us. Even though we lost 2-3, the fans still showed great respect and encouragement. We want to repay that, but unfortunately, not today. Thank you all,” Jay Idzes emotionally shared.

Indonesia will continue their qualifying journey when they face Iraq on the evening of October 11 (local time), equivalent to early morning October 12 (Vietnam time). This will be an opportunity for Coach Kluivert’s team to regain joy in victory and demonstrate Indonesia's indomitable spirit.