Match Day 5 of the third round of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers will see Japan travel to Indonesia in search of three crucial points. As it stands, Japan leads Group C, while Indonesia sits fifth in the six-team table. Here’s our prediction for the match.
Hosts Indonesia have managed to secure only three points so far and remain winless in the group. After starting their campaign with three straight draws, they suffered a 2-1 defeat away to bottom-placed China, marking just their third loss in the last 10 matches. However, to return to form, they will need a significant effort against a strong Japanese side.
Historically, Japan has a favorable record against Indonesia, having won their only previous encounter 3-1. Japan’s recent performance has been solid, although their march towards the 2026 World Cup was momentarily halted by a 1-1 draw with Australia, where a couple of own goals influenced the outcome. Currently, Japan holds 10 points, five ahead of their nearest challengers, and they are on a run of eight unbeaten matches.
In those eight matches, Japan has only failed to win once—during their last outing. They also boast an impressive record, having not lost any of their last 17 matches in World Cup qualification.
Given these factors, we predict that Japan will secure a comfortable victory against Indonesia, leveraging their strong form and historical advantage.