Jakarta. Japan's national football team defeated Indonesia 4-0 in the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, Group C, on Friday. Despite heavy rainfall, Japan's disciplined defense and smart attacking play were key to their dominant victory.
With this win, the Samurai Blue solidified their top spot in Group C with 13 points from five matches, while the Garudas remained at the bottom with just three points from five games.
Japan was able to exploit gaps in the Indonesian defense and capitalize on mistakes made by the Indonesian players.
During the first half, Indonesia opted to play a more defensive game, relying on quick counter-attacks. Unfortunately, this strategy allowed Japan's players to move freely with the ball from midfield into Indonesia's defensive zone.
Japan's first goal came in the 35th minute when Indonesian defender Justin Hubner scored an own goal. The second goal followed shortly after in the 40th minute, when Takumi Minamino executed a fast counter-attack to find the net.
The second goal occurred while Indonesia was down to 10 players, as Kevin Diks was receiving treatment off the field after being elbowed by Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma, who was later shown a yellow card for the foul.
Japan added a third goal in the 49th minute, stemming from a mistake by Indonesia’s goalkeeper Maarten Paes. Paes misdirected a pass, sending the ball straight to Japan's Hidemasa Morita, who took the opportunity to dribble forward and score into the bottom corner of the net.
Indonesia's defender Jay Idzes was unable to clear the ball, mistakenly assuming Paes would save it. He seemed disappointed when the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Indonesia attempted to reduce the deficit by pushing forward, but Japan took advantage of the opening left by the Indonesian defense. In the 68th minute, substitute Yukinari Sugawara made a swift run to the corner of the goal, where he scored Japan's fourth goal, sending the ball past Paes.
Despite several promising chances in the first half, Indonesia was unable to convert. In the 8th minute, Ragnar Oratmangoen had a one-on-one chance with Japan’s goalkeeper, Shuichi Suzuki, following a quick counter-attack, but his shot was blocked.
Kevin Diks, making his debut for Indonesia as a player for FC Copenhagen, showed promise, especially with a well-timed through ball to set up a scoring opportunity, but it went uncapitalized.
Diks' debut ended before halftime, as he was replaced by Sandy Walsh in the 41st minute due to injury.
Indonesia’s next match will be against Saudi Arabia, where they will play as the host team in Jakarta. The two teams previously drew 1-1 in their first meeting on September 6.
