Indonesia accused of blatant referee bias

(Dan Tri) - Saudi Arabian press has denounced the referee for making a blatantly biased decision against Indonesia in the match at Bung Karno on the evening of November 19.

Indonesia created an earthquake when it defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup at home at Bung Karno Stadium on the evening of November 19. This victory helped the team from the archipelago revive their hope of winning a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Indonesia bị tố cáo được trọng tài thiên vị trắng trợn - 1 — Justin Hubner only received a yellow card despite kicking Mohammed Al-Qahtani in the head (Screenshot).

This was a match in which Saudi Arabia played very erratically and made systematic mistakes. They have declined significantly compared to their peak. However, instead of analyzing their team's defeat, the Saudi Arabian media accused the referee of being blatantly biased towards Indonesia.

Arriyadiyah quoted referee Mohamed Kamal Risha commenting on the times when referees were biased towards Indonesia. He shared: "The first goal of the Indonesian team was clearly an illegal move. Before that, the Saudi Arabia player was fouled in the penalty area. They deserved a penalty. The VAR referee should have intervened in this situation.

In addition, the referee showed Justin Hubner a yellow card after a malicious tackle despite consulting VAR. This player should have received a red card when he kicked Mohammed Al-Qahtani in the head, putting the Saudi Arabian player in danger."

Most Saudi newspapers could not believe that their team would lose to Indonesia. The Saudi Gazette headlined: "Indonesia creates a big shock for Saudi Arabia." Similarly, Al Jazeera also used the word "unbelievable" to describe Indonesia's victory over Saudi Arabia, a team that had defeated Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

Indonesia bị tố cáo được trọng tài thiên vị trắng trợn - 2 — Indonesia won a historic victory over Saudi Arabia (Photo: PSSI).

In fact, Saudi Arabia has yet to make a change despite sacking coach Roberto Mancini and appointing former player Herve Renard. The team has been playing awkwardly and has not shown the temperament of a top team.

In any case, Saudi Arabia will have a four-month break to regain their spirit and form before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers return in March 2025. At that time, they will face two opponents, China (March 20) and Japan (March 25).

Apart from Japan, who are almost certain to advance, the chances of qualifying for the World Cup are still divided equally between Australia (7 points), Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, China, and Bahrain (all with 6 points).