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Indonesia secured a narrow 1-0 win over China in the third round of the Asian qualifiers at home on Thursday. With this result, China remain at the bottom of the group with just six points and are officially out of the chance to secure a spot at next year’s World Cup.

The performance sparked a wave of criticism targeting coach Branko Ivankovic and his players.

“First, disband the Chinese Football Association. Then the national football team,” wrote a user on Their.

Another commented: “The China national team did a great job. I support disbanding the team.”

Others expressed deeper frustration: “The Chinese team really have no one left to play. Disband it, stop making a fool of yourselves,” a fan wrote.

A supporter from Hong Kong added: “They not only lost the match, they embarrassed their fans and the country.”

One user sarcastically commented: “Can someone tell me why there are still people stupid enough to watch this team play?”

Indonesia’s only goal came in the 45th minute from a penalty converted by striker Ole Romeny. The team fought hard to protect the lead in the second half and secured the win. While the result does not grant Indonesia direct qualification, since Japan (20 points) and Australia (16 points) have already secured the top two spots, it keeps their hopes alive. Indonesia (12 points) and Saudi Arabia (13 points) secured a place in the fourth qualifying round.

The third and fourth-placed teams from each group will enter the fourth round of Asian qualifiers, set to take place in West Asia from Oct. 8 to 14. The six teams will be divided into two groups for round-robin matches. The two winners will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. The two runners-up will face off in a two-legged play-off on Nov. 13 and 18. The winner of that tie will advance to the intercontinental play-off, competing against representatives from North and Central America, Africa, South America and Oceania for one of the final two World Cup spots.