JAKARTA - John Herdman was officially introduced as the coach of the Indonesian National Team on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Carrying out a new task, Herdman immediately got the challenge to be able to lead the team to win the 2026 AFF Cup (ASEAN Championship).
Regarding the challenges ahead, Herdman has his own views regarding the 2026 AFF Cup. He realizes that the tournament is not easy, but it is actually a moment for the coach to see the depth of the team and measure the level of competition for the Garuda Squad.
"I think the tournament in August (2026), namely the AFF, is a good opportunity for me to understand how deep the talent pool Indonesia has," Herdman said at a press conference in Jakarta, Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
Herdman also realized that the agenda was not included in the official FIFA tournament calendar so it would be difficult to bring in first-class players. Therefore, the English coach opened the option of calling players who were not restricted by club permission to appear in the 2026 AFF Cup.
"The tournament in July and August (the 2026 AFF Cup) is something different. It will be difficult to bring first and second tier players because they have commitments to their clubs. The tournament is also outside the FIFA calendar."
"Then, I also give the opportunity to the players who did not get it in March or June 2026 in the FIFA calendar. To give the opportunity to young players, but on a much larger scale."
"So I think the structure of the tournament as a new coach is perfect. You have the opportunity to use a much bigger pool," said Herdman.
According to Herdman, the AFF Cup is similar to the Gold Cup in the Concacaf region (North, Central, and Caribbean). For tournaments like this, usually star players are difficult to call.
"We don't have access to call players like Alphonso Davies or Jonathan David (back when coaching Canada) for that tournament. You have to use local players and a much bigger pool," he said.
The 2026 AFF Cup will take place from July 24 to August 26, 2026. In the group stage, this tournament takes place with a random home and away system.
If they qualify for the semifinals and finals, they will use the away and home system. Since rolling in 1996, Indonesia has never been a champion and this is clearly a challenge for Herdman to make history.
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