The Iraqi national team snatched a valuable and difficult victory from their Indonesian counterpart with a score of one goal to none, in the match that brought the two teams together at the Al-Intimaa Stadium in Jeddah, as part of their journey in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The first half witnessed a clear superiority from the Indonesian team in terms of possession and ball control, as they imposed their high tempo of play and exploited the speed of their players on the flanks, which kept the Iraqi defense under constant pressure for most of this half.

Despite this, the players of the Lions of Mesopotamia attempted to reach the opponent's goal with a few limited counter-attacks, but they did not pose the required danger to the opponent's net, ending the first half in a goalless draw.

In the second half, Australian coach Graham Arnold made several changes that contributed to improving the Iraqi team's attacking performance, as the team gradually regained its balance and began to impose its rhythm in midfield.

After this goal, the Indonesian team tried to return to the match and intensified their pressure on the Iraqi goal in the final minutes, relying on crosses and quick attacks, but the Iraqi defense showed clear cohesion and held firm until the last moments of the match.

In the 99th minute, Iraqi defender Zaid Tahseen received a second yellow card and was sent off after intervening on one of the Indonesian players inside the penalty area, leaving Iraq to finish the match with a reduced number of players, before the referee blew the final whistle, announcing a precious Iraqi victory.

With this victory, the Iraqi team raised their points to three, securing second place after the Saudi team, with both teams set to face each other next Tuesday in the crucial third round.