Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed his gratitude over Team Indonesia gaining one point from its goalless draw against Australia in the Group C match of the third qualifying round for the 2026 AFC World Cup."We should be grateful, thank God, we got one more point after one point against Saudi Arabia," Widodo said while issuing a press statement after watching the Indonesia vs Australia match at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium in Jakarta on Tuesday night.
He lauded the national football team players who fought hard and managed a draw against the Australian team, which is far above Indonesia in world rankings.
The Head of State also praised the Indonesian team's goalkeeper, Maarten Paes, who managed to thwart Australia's attempts to score a goal several times.
"I think it was an extraordinary game with the hard work of all players, especially the goalkeeper," Widodo said.
The President also expressed the hope that the collected points would help Indonesia's chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals.
"We hope that with another one-point collection, it can increase to three points," he said.
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Currently, Indonesia is in fourth place in the Group C qualifier standings with two points from two matches, while Australia is fifth with one point.
Meanwhile, more than 70 thousand spectators came to watch the Indonesia vs Australia qualifier match at GBK Main Stadium.
Earlier, deputy for protocol, press, and media at the Presidential Secretariat, Yusuf Permana, said that President Jokowi came to the stadium to provide support and encouragement to the national team.