In the 90th minute of the match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Thursday evening, fourth official Ohashi Yusuke held up the board indicating just two minutes of stoppage time, prompting head coach John Herdman and several Indonesian players to storm toward the touchline in protest.
Right at that moment, Bangladesh scored to narrow the deficit to 2-7. Yusuke subsequently held up the board a second time, revising the stoppage time to seven minutes.
A five-goal difference was not enough to secure top spot in Group A for Indonesia, as group rivals Malaysia were cruising to a 6-0 win over Singapore in a simultaneous fixture.
The extended stoppage time proved decisive, however, enabling the hosts to net two late goals in the 90+5 and 90+7 minutes to cap a 9-2 rout and overtake Malaysia for first place. Both teams achieved the same points, but Malaysia came in second on total goals scored.
Match highlights from Indonesia vs. Bangladesh at FIFA ASEAN Cup.
Losing their ticket to the final in the dying moments sparked outrage from the Football Association of Malaysia.
In a open letter released Friday morning, the federation stressed that accurate and consistent match time management remains essential to fair officiating and tournament integrity.
The federation urged FIFA to detail the procedural review conducted by the officiating crew, specifically the justification for modifying the stoppage time. Emphasizing that the request does not dispute the final scoreline or question the performance of any squad, the release added that officials are merely seeking formal transparency, consistency, and clarity in how competition rules are enforced on the pitch.
The second half was marred by frequent stoppages. Play was halted in the 48th minute for a video assistant referee review after a home player went down in the box, and in the 70th minute, Elkan Baggott picked up a yellow card for a midfield foul before head referee Kabirov Nasrullo spent three minutes at the pitchside monitor reviewing a potential red card, ultimately sticking with his initial call.
Another review followed in the 84th minute to rule out an offside strike by Indonesian forward Ole Romeny, before a chaotic brawl broke out between both teams in the 90+2 minute.
Addressing the clock adjustment at the post-match press conference, Herdman confirmed he had questioned the crew directly, noting he asked the fourth official whether the two-minute signal was an error, and the official confirmed that it was.
Indonesia now advance to meet Thailand in the final, while Malaysia await the conclusion of Group B on Oct. 2 to learn their third-place playoff opponent, either Vietnam or Pakistan.
Both the final and the third-place playoff are scheduled for Oct. 5 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.