Jakarta, IO – The Indonesian national men’s football team (Timnas) will face off against Brunei Darussalam tonight, Thursday (12/10), at 7pm WIB at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK), Jakarta. This match is part of the first leg of the 2026 Pre-World Cup. The second leg will held in Brunei Darussalam on Tuesday (17/10), per Tirto.id.
The match is the first for Timnas in their journey to the 2026 World Cup Qualification round. If they win in round 1 of the Asia Zone, they will go on to round 2, which will be participated in by 36 teams. The results of the round 2 qualifying draw placed the winner of Indonesia vs Brunei in Group F, along with Iraq, Vietnam and the Philippines. The teams that qualify will continue to compete until they reach the 2026 World Cup.
Indonesia is considered to be more superior than Brunei based on FIFA rankings. The Garuda team is currently ranked 147th, while Brunei Darussalam is ranked 191st. Based on match record, Indonesia also always won against Brunei Darussalam.
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Despite being the favorite, Timnas coach Shin Tae-yong (STY) instructed the players not to underestimate their opponent. He will field the best players such as Marselino Ferdinand and Rafael Struick.
“I hope the players will not be careless and work hard on the field against Brunei, of course they have to show their best,” said STY. “Whatever it is, we are serious in the preparation and the target is to secure a win.” (un)