Branko Ivankovic Wishes Indonesia Success as China Bows Out of World Cup Qualifiers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Chinese national team suffered a 0-1 loss to Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualification match for Group C, held on Thursday night at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium. The result confirmed China’s elimination from the tournament, as they failed to advance to the fourth round.

Following the match, China’s head coach Branko Ivankovic extended his well-wishes to the Indonesian team.

"We already knew that Indonesia is strong, their situation is very good, hopefully, they achieve the result they expect. I already knew that this would be tough, especially considering the climate, but the players have tried until the final minutes," said Ivankovic during a post-match press conference.

"In the end, we knew that this was a difficult match, especially as we fielded young players. So, for the players who played today, especially the young players who played, hopefully they can be the future for China," he added.

With the defeat, China ended their campaign in last place in Group C, finishing sixth with six points and missing out on a spot in the next round.

China began their third-round campaign with a heavy 0-7 defeat to Japan in September 2024, then suffered a narrow 0-1 loss to Saudi Arabia. In October, they were beaten 1-3 by Australia but managed to recover with a 2-1 victory over Indonesia, marking their first win of the round.

They went on to beat Bahrain 1-0 but failed to build on that momentum. Later that month, they were defeated 1-3 at home by Japan. Subsequent matches saw a string of losses: 0-1 to Saudi Arabia, 0-2 to Australia, and most recently, 0-1 to Indonesia.

With China’s early exit, speculation has grown over Branko Ivankovic’s future as head coach, as pressure mounts following the team's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

List of Asian Teams Already Qualified for the 2026 World Cup Finals

Group A: Iran and Uzbekistan.

Group B: South Korea and Jordan.

Group C: Japan (one remaining spot is being contested by Australia and Saudi Arabia)

List of Teams Already Qualified for the Fourth Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

Group A: United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Group B: Iraq (another spot is contested by Oman and Palestine in the last match)

Group C: Indonesia (Australia and Saudi Arabia have also advanced and are still competing for direct qualification to the finals).

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