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For all the joy he has derived from his still-fledgling career thus far, Marselino Ferdinan has had to endure his fair share of tribulations recently.
After an electrifying start to professional football saw him earn a move to Europe at just the age of 18, an inability to break through at Belgian outfit Deinze led to him seeking a move this summer.
Still, with Marselino yet to earn his first-team debut since signing for Championship outfit Oxford United, his lack of regular football has validated what would have previously been an unthinkable relegation from Indonesia coach Shin Tae-Yong’s starting XI.
Prior to Tuesday, Marselino had started just one of Indonesia’s five outings in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and it did not seem likely that was going to change coming up against continental powerhouses Saudi Arabia.
But having ultimately been given the nod, Marselino would repay Shin’s faith emphatically — scoring twice to inspire a stunning 2-0 victory at Gelora Bung Karno that will be remembered by the Indonesia faithful for years to come.
Despite the adversity he has faced of late, the 20-year-old revealed he had been feeling good — both in the team’s prospects of pulling off a huge upset, as well as in his ability to potential be the difference maker.
“I prayed and hoped that we would play well and get the result we wanted,” he said, as he attended the post-game news conference in the capacity of being the player of the match.
“Before this match, I have not been scoring many goals and have not been able to get into the starting lineup. But, right now, I feel I am ready and able to play right from the start.
“I’m a natural goalscorer so, when I got the first goal, it was was of absolute importance as I felt free from any pressure or burden.
“From there on, I was able to play to what I have been capable of.”
Marselino was quick to share the credit with those around him, as well as Shin — who might even regard this victory as a bigger result than when he masterminded South Korea‘s 2-0 win over Germany that eliminated the then-champions from the 2018 World Cup.
While Saudi Arabia dominated possession as expected, it was arguably Indonesia who had the greater impetus throughout the 90 minutes.
They could even have scored thrice inside the opening ten minutes, with Marselino denied by the woodwork after just 45 seconds — prompting Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard to laud them as deserving victors on the night.
“I scored tonight but it was through the hard work from the players and everyone else in the team,” Marselino added.
“We also followed coach Shin’s instructions, as well as adapted to his tactical changes.
“What we planned and executed tonight was absolutely perfect.”
Marselino also produced a celebration that will be equally as memorable as his display.
After his second goal, in the process of running off the field and onto the running, he decided to take a seat on a plastic chair that had been vacated by a ball boy.
Just prior to that, however, he had put his finger to his lips — a gesture usually utilised to signal a silencing of critics.
Nonetheless, he was quick to dismiss any lingering thoughts that it might have been directed at anyone in particular and, instead, had a different message to the fans.
“About my celebration after scoring, it’s nothing special and there’s no message intended,” he explained. “I suppose it just happened naturally.
“I just want to say to all the supporters that we should not be carried away. Our focus is not [only about] tonight.
“We still have a few more matches to go and will continue to put in our maximum effort.”
Remarkably, despite it being Indonesia’s first win of their third-round campaign, it has now lifted them to third in Group C — ahead of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China on goals scored and goal difference.
No one in the group is likely to catch runaway leaders Japan but the fact that the quartet tied on six points are just one behind second-placed Australia means everyone can still dream of securing an automatic ticket to the World Cup by the end of the third round.
And, as unlikely as it might have seen at the start of the campaign given their status as massive underdogs, Indonesia — and Marselino — will likely be keeping the faith and continuing to dream a World Cup quest beyond their wildest imagination, especially after a night like Tuesday.
