Indonesia vs Qatar

Khobar, and the holders on the road

Aramco Stadium in Khobar holds 45 000, the third-largest ground at the tournament and the only one outside Riyadh and Jeddah. Qatar play the second of their group matches there, against a side that until 2023 had never won anything at an Asian Cup.

Indonesia have six appearances, the first in 1996, and one knockout place. That place came in 2023, which is also the tournament Qatar won at home. The two arrive in Saudi Arabia from opposite ends of the same edition.

Qatar have won this competition twice in eight years. Everything before 2019, nine appearances going back to 1980, produced no title at all. The turnaround was sharp enough that the question the group asks is not whether they are good but whether the run has another tournament left in it.

The two records

This is a sixth Asian Cup for Indonesia, whose best finish is round of 16 (2023), against a twelfth for Qatar, best winners (2019, 2023).