Indonesia coach vows to win FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026

Coach John Herdman has set a goal to lead Indonesia to victory at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, while cautioning that Singapore is an organized and experienced opponent.

* Indonesia - Singapore: 8 PM today, 25/9, on VnExpress.

Ahead of their opening match against Singapore, coach Herdman affirmed Indonesia's aim for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 championship. This regional tournament marks its debut on the FIFA calendar, adding a new dimension to Southeast Asian football.

"The players' motivation is very high. Training intensity has peaked," Herdman stated at a press conference on 24/9. "We want to fight for our fans and lift the cup in this tournament." The English coach confirmed that all 23 Indonesia players are fit and ready to play. While some members joined the training camp late, Herdman assessed that his players have trained diligently and are currently in good condition.

Coach John Herdman observes the Indonesia national team's training session at Madya stadium, Senayan, Jakarta, on 22/9/2026. *Antara*.

Indonesia will open Group A against Singapore at Bung Karno stadium, Jakarta, at 8 PM on Friday, 25/9. This marks their second encounter in a short period, following a 1-1 draw in the ASEAN Cup 2026. That previous result led to Indonesia's elimination from the tournament, providing valuable lessons for the upcoming rematch.

Herdman believes the previous match offered important lessons for Indonesia ahead of this rematch. He noted Singapore's strong tactical organization and tendency to play with a compact formation. According to him, many Singaporean players have worked with their coach for an extended period and understand the team's system well. Therefore, Indonesia cannot solely rely on its squad quality advantage to guarantee a win. "Singapore will certainly want to fight again and make things difficult for us. They are tough to beat," Herdman added.

The Indonesia coach also acknowledged his team's squad value advantage, but stressed that this factor would not determine the outcome if the players fail to unite as a cohesive unit. According to Transfermarkt, Indonesia's squad value is the highest in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, reaching 24,6 million USD. In contrast, Singapore's value is the lowest in the tournament's top tier, at just 3,9 million USD.

Squad values of the 8 teams participating in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. *Xuan Binh (AI supported)*.

Herdman was appointed to lead Indonesia with the goal of building a team capable of competing internationally. The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 also allows Indonesia to field a different squad compared to the AFF Cup, as this tournament falls within FIFA's international match calendar. He explained that the FIFA ASEAN Cup squad was formed from players who performed well during the March and June training camps. Herdman emphasized that this squad is tailored for the tournament within the FIFA calendar, whereas the AFF Cup has different conditions as it is not part of this calendar. "There is one team for the FIFA ASEAN Cup and another for the AFF Cup. We will have to wait and see which team shines," he added.

Before the tournament, Herdman did not call up three Persib Bandung players: Marc Klok, Beckham Putra, and Eliano Reijnders, despite all three having been part of the Indonesia squad in the ASEAN Cup 2026. He affirmed that this decision was based on tactical requirements, not personal issues. Herdman also stated that he does not select players based solely on reputation or personal profiles. On-field performance is the primary factor, alongside the squad's suitability for tactical requirements.

On the other side, Singapore views the opening match as an opportunity to test themselves against a highly-rated Indonesia. Forward Ilhan Fandi acknowledged Indonesia as a strong team, while stating Singapore's goal is to create a difficult match for the hosts. Singapore will be without forward Ikhsan Fandi due to a rib injury sustained while playing for Thespa Gunma in Japan. Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud has returned to training and is assessed by coach Gavin Lee to be in good condition.

Singapore is ranked 146th by FIFA, while Indonesia is 118th. After facing Indonesia, Singapore will play Bangladesh on 28/9 and Malaysia on 1/10. Indonesia, meanwhile, will meet Malaysia first, then Bangladesh.