Indonesia U-17 Eliminated Despite Equal Points in Dramatic Group B Finish

Indonesia U-17 ended their AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 Group B campaign in disappointing fashion after finishing at the bottom of the standings despite collecting the same number of points as Qatar and China. The Young Garuda suffered a 1-3 defeat against Japan U-17 in their final group match, leaving them stuck on three points from three games.

At the same time, China secured an important 2-0 victory over Qatar, creating an unusual situation where Indonesia, Qatar, and China all finished with identical point totals. Many supporters were confused by Indonesia's position at the bottom of the table, especially since the team had the same number of points as the other two sides.

Indonesia actually showed determination against Japan and briefly threatened a comeback after Peres Tjoe scored from a free kick to reduce the deficit to 1-2. However, Japan quickly restored their two-goal advantage and controlled the match until the final whistle. The defeat prevented Indonesia from improving their standing in the group.

The final rankings were decided using the tournament's head-to-head regulations rather than overall group performance. In cases where multiple teams finish level on points, the competition first looks at points earned in matches between those tied teams, followed by goal difference and goals scored in those specific encounters. Results against the group winner are not included in the calculation.

China ultimately benefited from the mini-table system with a superior head-to-head goal difference of +1. Qatar finished with an even goal difference, while Indonesia recorded -1 after defeating China 1-0 but losing 0-2 to Qatar. Because of that disadvantage, Indonesia was forced to accept last place in Group B and an early exit from the tournament.