Indonesia Beats Bahrain 1-0 in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers; Ole Romeny Scores Lone Goal

March 25, 2025 | 11:25 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The match between Indonesia and Bahrain in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Asia ended in a triumph for the Garuda Squad, as it defeated Bahrain 1-0 after a lone goal by Ole Romeny. The game was held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, on Tuesday night, March 25, 2025.

The victory means Indonesia retains its fourth position in the Group C standings, with nine points from eight matches. The Garuda squad is four points behind the sure ticket to the World Cup, while Bahrain follows with six points.

Match Highlights

Indonesian national team coach Patrick Kluivert made several changes in the match against Bahrain. He deployed a formation of three defenders in a 3-4-3 scheme. Jay Idzes, Rizky Ridho, and Justin Hubner guarded the defensive line, with Maarten Paes as the goalkeeper.

Thom Haye, Joey Pelupessy, Kevin Diks, and Calvin Verdonk controlled the midfield for the Indonesian national team, also supplying three players upfront consisting of Marselino Ferdinan, Ragnar Oratmangoen, and Ole Romeny.

In the Bahrain camp, coach Dragan Talajic still entrusted Ebrahim Lutfalla as the main choice in goalkeeping. Mohamed Marhoon also played and remained the mainstay for The Reds to build offense.

First Half

Indonesia dominated the early minutes, penetrating Bahrain’s defense lines several times since the start. However, the Garuda team struggled to create clear openings for a goal. In the first 15 minutes, Indonesia's ball possession was recorded at 60 percent.

Indonesia's first opportunity came in the 14th minute through Thom Haye. The Almere City midfielder had a free-kick opening from the right side of Bahrain's defense. His shot was on target but still could be saved by goalkeeper Lutfalla.

After a tight midfield battle, Indonesia broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, with a key pass by Thom Haye. Marselino then passed the ball to the unmarked Ole Romeny. The Oxford United striker tucked the ball away uncontested, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Lutfalla. The score was 1-0 for Indonesia.

In the first half, ball possession was relatively balanced between Indonesia and Bahrain. Indonesia had 49 percent possession to Bahrain’s 51 percent. The Garuda squad had three chances, two of which were on target. The score remained 1-0 until halftime.

Second Half

Patrick Kluivert and Dragan Talajic made no changes after halftime. Indonesia attempted to attack and immediately got opportunities. Five minutes later, Bahrain had an opening. Ahmed Bughammar took advantage of the chaos in Indonesia's penalty box, but Rizky Ridho managed to thwart it.

In the 57th minute, Kluivert made a change. Haye, who seemed tired, was replaced by Ivar Jenner. Bahrain's difficulty in breaking through Indonesia's defense made them resort to long-range shots to find an equalizer.

In the 62nd minute, Indonesia had another opening. Jay Idzes sent a long pass to Ole Romeny. However, his shot went straight into the arms of the goalkeeper.

In the 66th minute, Marselino wasted a great shot after receiving a low cross from Ragnar Oratmangoen inside the penalty box. Despite being unmarked, the Oxford United player's shot soared high above the crossbar. A minute later, Bahrain almost scored the equalizer. Mohamed Al Romaihi broke free from Jay Idzes' marking in an aerial duel, but his header went wide.

Kluivert made three substitutions in the 75th minute. Marselino, Ragnar, and Diks went out; Ricky Kambuaya, Eliano Reijnders, and Sandy Walsh came in. The strategy almost paid off three minutes later when Kambuaya escaped from Bahrain's defender and sent a pass to Eliano, who was left facing Lutfalla. Unfortunately, Eliano failed to score a second goal for Indonesia.

The score remained 1-0 until the final whistle.

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