Indonesia loses top spot in group to Cambodia at AFF Cup

The Indonesian women's team settled for a 1-1 draw against Cambodia, consequently surrendering first place in Group B at the 2026 AFF Women's Cup.

The Indonesian women's team failed to retain their lead in Group B at the 2026 AFF Women's Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw by Cambodia in the final group stage match. This result caused the archipelago nation to lose the top spot to their opponents, thus facing a tougher challenge in the semifinals.

Entering the home match with the advantage of leading the group, Indonesia started with determination and quickly gained the upper hand. In the early minutes of the first half, Imut Sheva scored the opening goal, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead at halftime. At that point, Indonesia had a great opportunity to maintain their top position and advance to the semifinals with a favorable standing.

However, everything changed after the break. Cambodia fought back strongly and found the equalizer to make it 1-1, thereby securing a valuable point. Indonesia could not regain the lead in the remaining time and had to settle for a draw at home in the crucial match.

After the group stage concluded, both Indonesia and Cambodia had 4 points with a goal difference of +2. Nevertheless, Cambodia ranked above due to scoring more goals, thus officially claiming the top spot in Group B. Meanwhile, Indonesia dropped to second place and lost the advantage before the knockout stage.

Finishing second in the group means Indonesia now faces Group A winners Singapore in the semifinals. This is considered a tough challenge for the archipelago nation. In the other semifinal, Cambodia will take on Laos for a spot in the final.

The 2026 AFF Women's Cup also serves as the qualifier for the 2027 AFF Women's Cup with the participation of six teams: Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Timor Leste. The three best-performing teams in the tournament will qualify for the 2027 AFF Women's Cup Finals. Meanwhile, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and the Australia U23 women's team have already secured direct spots, so they are not participating in the qualifiers.