Japan hammer Indonesia to edge closer to World Cup spot

JAKARTA – Japan hammered a hapless Indonesia side 4-0 on Nov 15, extending their lead at the top of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and edging them closer to an eighth consecutive Finals spot.

Despite several early scares in front of more than 70,000 fans in Jakarta, the Samurai Blue eventually carved open a home team filled with European-born players before teaching them a footballing lesson.

“I’m really happy. It was a really tough environment in a game away from home,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu.

“But I think the fact that so many Japanese supporters came to the stadium and so many Japanese people and supporters (back home) sent their thoughts... these helped the players to endure and battle.

“I think Indonesia had one or two big chances, but I think we persevered through difficult situations to our victory.”

The first goal came when Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada cut past a defender in the 35th minute and squared the ball across goal, with Indonesia’s Justin Hubner being credited with an own goal as he tried to stop striker Koki Ogawa.

That broke more than half an hour of stubborn Indonesian resistance in heavy rain before Japan showed their superiority, doubling their lead just five minutes later when Monaco’s Takumi Minamino smashed in a low shot.

Sporting Lisbon’s Hidemasa Morita capitalised on a mistake by Indonesian goalkeeper Maarten Paes before substitute Yukinari Sugawara smashed in a fourth to seal the thumping.

Japan are now at the top of Group C by seven points at the halfway stage of the third round of Asian qualifying for 2026, all but guaranteeing them a World Cup berth bar an astonishing collapse.

They will go away to China on Nov 19 knowing that another win would almost cement their World Cup place, while Indonesia face Saudi Arabia, who have six points with Australia and China.

Just the top two seal their place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the third and fourth forced into another round of Asian qualifying.

Defeat consigned Indonesia to the bottom spot in the group of six, and three points off a coveted top-four spot.

In Group B on Nov 14, Son Heung-min thanked Tottenham Hotspur for nursing him back to health and said he felt “100 per cent” fit after scoring his 50th international goal for South Korea.

The forward missed several games for Spurs earlier this season with a hamstring injury and then had a further spell out after suffering a relapse.

He was back in action for Tottenham at the start of November and completed 90 minutes against Ipswich Town last week in a 2-1 home defeat.

Son also missed games for his country but he started and scored in South Korea’s 3-1 win in Kuwait on Nov 14.

His penalty took him to a half-century of international goals and joint second on South Korea’s all-time list of scorers.

The 32-year-old thanked Tottenham and South Korea for “taking a great interest in my health and protecting me”.

“I am feeling great,” the skipper, who was substituted in the 64th minute as a precaution, told reporters in Kuwait.

“I am back to my normal condition. I’d like to play at 100 per cent in the next match.”

Son, who was making his 130th international appearance, also praised his teammates for giving him “opportunities to score so many goals”.

“It’s a huge honour to be mentioned alongside some great names in Korean football, but the most important thing is the win tonight,” said Son, who is now eight goals away from matching his country’s all-time scoring record held by Cha Bum-kun.

Victory left South Korea comfortably top of Group B with four wins and a draw after five matches.

They can take another giant step towards an 11th straight World Cup when they play Palestine in the Jordanian capital Amman on Nov 19. AFP