Jeddah. Indonesia’s national team coach, Shin Tae-Yong, is unfazed by the formidable challenge posed by Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Italian coach Roberto Mancini.

The two teams are set to clash in a Group C match at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday or Friday, November 6, 2024, at 01:00 a.m. Jakarta time.

Despite Indonesia’s record of never having won against Saudi Arabia, Tae-yong expressed confidence.

“I have great respect for the individual skills, technique, and strength of the Saudi team. Under Coach Mancini’s leadership, they will undoubtedly be more solid and organized. We are in a tough group in this third round, but we will never give up,” Tae-yong said on Thursday.

Looking ahead, Shin Tae-Yong has set realistic goals for the team, aiming for a third or fourth place finish in the group to advance to the fourth round of qualifiers, where the team would compete for two automatic World Cup spots with potentially lighter opponents.

“We are not aiming for the top two spots but rather for third or fourth place to move on to the next stage. This is my personal goal, as well as the team’s,” he added.

Saudi Arabia’s coach, Roberto Mancini, praised the progress of the Indonesian team under Shin Tae-yong. Mancini highlighted Indonesia’s historical milestones, including reaching the Round of 16 in the 2023 Asian Cup, the semifinals of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup, and the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Italian coach also acknowledged the growth of Indonesia’s youth teams, which are expected to become the backbone of the senior national team in the future.

Historically, Indonesia has struggled against Saudi Arabia, with 12 encounters resulting in no wins. Their only draw occurred in a friendly in Jakarta on Oct. 7, 2011. In World Cup qualifiers, Indonesia lost 0-3 and 1-3 in 2004, and the last encounter in the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers ended in a narrow 0-1 defeat in Dammam on March 5, 2014.