Saudi Arabia kick off their World Cup qualifying play-off campaign against Indonesia at Al-Inmaa Stadium in Jeddah. The two sides share Group B with Iraq, with only the top team guaranteed a ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
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Match Details:
- Date & Time: Wednesday, October 8 – 20:15 KSA time (18:15 Morocco time)
- How to Watch: BeIN Sports 2 MENA
Recent history favours Indonesia slightly
This isn’t the first time these two have met.
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- In the previous qualifying round, Indonesia held Saudi Arabia to a 1-1 draw in Jeddah, then stunned them 2-0 a month later — thanks to a Marselino Ferdinan brace.
- Ferdinan, however, will miss this game through injury –i a blow for Patrick Kluivert’s side.
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Form and momentum
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- Saudi Arabia, led by Hervé Renard, come into this one with cautious optimism. They beat North Macedonia 2-1 and drew 1-1 with the Czech Republic during the last international break.
- Indonesia, meanwhile, are quietly confident after a 6-0 demolition of Chinese Taipei and a goalless draw with Lebanon.
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The stakes
- Winners of each group qualify directly for the World Cup.
- Runners-up will face each other in a two-legged tie on 13 and 18 November, with the victor heading to the intercontinental play-off.
- Six Asian nations – Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Japan, and Australia – have already booked their spots.
What to expect
Expect a cagey first half, with Saudi Arabia likely to control possession and wait for defensive gaps. Indonesia will aim to sit deep and hit on the counter.
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Safest calls
- Saudi Arabia to win
- Under 3.5 goals (Indonesia are compact defensively)
- 1-0 or 2-0 correct score
