Jakarta. Indonesia was on the verge of securing its first win in the World Cup qualifiers for Group C until Bahrain scored a dramatic equalizer in the 100th minute, ending the match 2-2 on Thursday evening.

The late goal, which came long after the announced six minutes of added time, dashed Indonesia’s hopes for a victory at the Riffa National Stadium in Bahrain.

Despite the clock reaching the 96th minute, Omani referee Abu Bakar Al Kaf did not blow the final whistle, allowing the match to continue. It was only after Mohamed Marhoon’s second goal of the night, following a corner kick, that the match was brought to an end, sparking protests from Indonesian players and officials.

Marhoon, who had given Bahrain the lead in the 15th minute, struck again to break Indonesia’s hearts after they had been on course for a precious away win. In response to the aggressive protests from the Indonesian side, the referee issued a red card to Sumardji, an Indonesian team official.

“We are deeply disappointed with the referee’s handling of the game. He allowed play to continue until Bahrain scored,” said Arya Sinulingga, an executive from the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), told Kompas news website. “We will certainly file a formal complaint.”

The match had been level at 1-1 going into halftime, thanks to a goal from Ragnar Oratmangoen just before the break. Indonesia then took the lead in the 74th minute with a goal from Rafael Struick, but Bahrain’s late equalizer denied them the win.

The result leaves Indonesia fifth in the standings, just behind Bahrain, with three points from three draws.

The match was intense from the outset, with a physical clash in the early minutes between Indonesian midfielder Malik Risaldi and Bahrain’s captain, Waleed Al Hayam. Both players required treatment, with Al Hayam returning to the field with his head bandaged and Malik continuing with adhesive tape covering a wound on his left temple.

Bahrain’s Ali Haram received a yellow card in the 10th minute for a foul on Calvin Verdonk. Five minutes later, Marhoon opened the scoring with a stunning free kick that hit the crossbar and bounced into the net, leaving Indonesian goalkeeper Maarten Paes unable to react.

In first-half injury time, Oratmangoen equalized for Indonesia after a deflected pass from Ivar Jenner fell to his feet, allowing him to slot the ball home. The goal was confirmed after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

In the second half, Indonesia’s coach Shin Tae-yong made several substitutions, replacing Sandy Walsh and Jordi Amat with Eliano Reijnders and Rizky Ridho. Malik, who had been injured, was also replaced by Marselino Ferdinan.

Rafael Struick showcased his individual brilliance in the 74th minute, breaking through Bahrain’s defense and finishing with a right-footed shot to put Indonesia ahead.

However, the extended injury time proved too much for Indonesia to handle. Despite several impressive saves from Maarten Paes, Bahrain capitalized on the extra minutes, with Marhoon scoring a late equalizer.

Indonesia will face China in another away game on Tuesday.

Bahrain Starting XI
Ebrahim Luthfalla (G), Abdulla Al Khalasi, Vincent Emmanuel, Amine Benaddi, Waleed Al Hayam, Abbas Fadhel, Ali Madan, Mohamed Marhoon, Ali Haram, Komail Alaswad, Mahdi Abdul Jabar Hasan.

Indonesia Starting XI
Maarten Paes (G), Mees Hilgers, Jay Idzes, Jordi Amat, Sandy Walsh, Malik Risaldi, Ivar Jenner, Thom Haye, Calvin Verdonk, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Rafael Struick.