The ball is mine: Indonesian midfielder Ponaryo Astaman (front) is challenged by Kuwaiti midfielder Fahad Alansari (center) during an Asian Cup 2011 qualification match in Jakarta on Wednesday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. JP/Nurhayati
Indonesia is in danger of failing to qualify for the Asian Cup for the first time since 1996 after playing a 1-1 draw with Kuwait at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The result leaves Indonesia languishing at the bottom of four-team Group B with only three points.
On the other hand, the draw is enough to push Kuwait, which won over the same opponent last week
in Kuwait City, to the top with seven points.
Australia has collected the same points as Kuwait, but stays in second place with the Aussies scoring one fewer goal than the leader. Oman, which Indonesia held to a draw during its Middle East trip, is in third position with four points.
The Asian Cup qualifying round features twenty nations, split into five groups with the top two advancing to the 2011 championship in Qatar.
The 10 qualifying teams will join another five — host nation Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
and India.
Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Korea were the top three finalists during the 2007 Asian Cup while India has secured its place after winning the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. Another team to be included in the championship will be the winner of the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup.
After playing in four consecutive championships since 1996, Indonesia is now staring at the prospect of being out of the contest.
While winning the remaining two matches — against Australia and Oman — is a must, Indonesia will also hope that other teams slide.
These circumstances would have been mitigated if Indonesian had managed to hold onto its lead during Wednesday’s match.
Indonesia ended the first half in the lead thanks to Budi Sudarsono’s goal, but the sending off of Ismed Sofyan by the referee for his second bookable offense in the opening minutes of the second half, spoilt the Indonesian game.
Being one player short, Indonesia was struggling to cling onto the 1-0 lead with the Kuwaitis piling on the pressure in the rest of the game.
The visiting team created a flurry of goal chances but converted only one, courtesy of Ahmad Ajab Alzemi, who struck home from a close range in the 71st minute.
“It has been a tough journey for us. We are sorry for this disappointing result,” Indonesian team head coach Benny Dollo told a media conference after the match. “However, the players deserve praise. They fought hard to the end.”
Group B
P W D L F A Pts.
Kuwait 4 2 1 1 4 3 7
Australia 4 2 1 1 3 2 7
Oman 4 1 1 2 2 3 4
Indonesia 4 0 3 1 2 3 3
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