Controversy Mars Indonesia's 2-2 Draw Against Bahrain in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

 

(source : https://x.com/sportingzila)

The Indonesian national team's hopes of securing a crucial win in their 2026 World Cup Qualifiers (Asia Zone) campaign were dashed in a dramatic encounter against Bahrain at the Bahrain National Stadium on Thursday, October 10, 2024. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with the home side equalizing in the dying minutes of the game, sparking controversy over the referee's decision to allow play to continue beyond the allotted time.

Match Recap

Bahrain took the lead in the 14th minute through Mohamed Mahroon's perfectly executed free kick, which broke through the Indonesian defense. However, the Garuda squad equalized just before the end of the first half, with Ragnar Oratmangoen capitalizing on a rebound inside the penalty area. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) confirmed the goal, and the first half ended in a 1-1 draw.

Indonesia turned the game around in the second half, with Rafael Struick scoring a stunning curling goal in the 75th minute to give his team a 2-1 lead. However, Bahrain's Mohamed Mahroon scored again in the 98th minute, leveling the score at 2-2 and snatching a point for the home side.

Controversy Over Referee's Decision

The end of the match was marred by controversy, with the Indonesian national team lodging a strong protest over the referee's decision to allow play to continue beyond the allotted time. The extra time granted was six minutes, but the match ended well beyond that point, with the equalizing goal being scored in the 98th minute.

The referee, Ahmed Abu Bakar Said Al Kaf, ignored the protests and continued the match, sparking outrage among Indonesian fans and netizens. The hashtag #Wasit became a trending topic in Indonesia on the X platform, with over 212,000 tweets, followed by the hashtag Ahmed Al Kahf (referee) with over 66,000 tweets at the time of this article's publication.