Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  Indonesia secured its inaugural win in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Group F, with a 1-0 victory over Vietnam, courtesy of Egy Maulana Vikry's goal (52') at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Thursday (23/1/2024). Deploying two new players, Jay Idzes and Nathan Tjoe-A-On, the Garuda team initially struggled in the first half, as reported by antaranews.com. Both teams failed to score in the first 45 minutes, ending the first half in a 0-0 draw. In the second half, Coach Shin Tae-yong made three substitutions, bringing in Pratama Arhan, Sandy Walsh, and Egy Maulana Vikry. His decision paid off as Indonesia took the initiative, creating the first chance through Ivar Jenner's shot in the 49th minute. Three minutes later, Egy scored after a defensive error by Vietnam's Vo Minh Trong, following another throw-in by Arhan. Indonesia led 1-0. After breaking the deadlock, Indonesia played with more confidence.  Indonesia almost doubled their lead in the closing minutes with Egy's shot, but Filip Nguyen made a crucial save. The score remained 1-0 as the referee blew the final whistle. This victory earned Indonesia three points, lifting them to second place in Group F standings with four points, just two points behind Iraq. In the next match, Indonesia will face Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi, on Tuesday evening (26/3/2024). (mg/inp/pr/nm)