JatimVoice.com – Indonesia’s national football team, Garuda, triumphed over China with a 1-0 victory in their Group C match of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers third round at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Thursday. The decisive goal came from a penalty scored by Ole Romeny in the 40th minute, securing Indonesia’s advancement to the fourth round.
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The win propelled Indonesia to 12 points, locking in their fourth-place position in the group. This result ensures that Indonesia cannot be overtaken by the bottom two teams, Bahrain and China, both stuck at six points.
Midfielder Ricky Kambuaya delivered a standout performance, earning high praise from head coach Patrick Kluivert. Starting on the left flank, Kambuaya’s ball control proved nearly unstoppable against China’s Dragon Team. The penalty that led to Indonesia’s goal stemmed from a foul on Kambuaya by China’s Yang Zexiang.
According to SofaScore, the Dewa United star recorded one successful dribble, one key pass, one shot, and won six duels. Kluivert lauded Kambuaya’s display, describing him as a shy player off the pitch but a fierce competitor on it. “I can’t say much. For me, he played fantastically today. He showed great heart,” Kluivert said in the post-match press conference. “He’s shy, but on the field, he’s truly ready to play.”
Kambuaya’s resurgence under Kluivert marks a turnaround after being sidelined during the tenure of former coach Shin Tae-yong. His start against China was his first since Indonesia’s draw against the Philippines in Manila in 2023 during the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
Tags
Asia
China
Dewa United
football
Garuda
Gelora Bung Karno
Indonesia
national
Ole Romeny
Patrick Kluivert
penalty
Ricky Kambuaya
sport
World Cup Qualifiers