TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia national team coach John Herdman has vowed to revamp the Garuda squad and instill a fresh spirit following their failure to advance to the 2026 AFF Cup semifinals.
“We will address all of that and return with a new spirit—a truly new spirit,” John Herdman said in an official statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.
The Indonesian national team was eliminated from the 2026 AFF Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw by Singapore at Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore, on Friday, August 7, 2026.
Although dissatisfied with the refereeing during the match, Herdman felt that discussing the officiating further was unnecessary, as it would only land him in trouble.
The English coach explained that his team had dominated the match, though he acknowledged that Singapore possessed a well-organized defense.
“We had enough chances to win the match. We had sufficient possession and control, but sometimes the football gods simply don’t give us what we want,” he said.
Herdman hopes everyone will be patient while awaiting the national team’s first trophy under his leadership.
Following the setback at the AFF Cup, the Indonesian national team will continue preparations for the FIFA ASEAN Cup, scheduled for September–October 2026.
He noted that the tournament represents a golden opportunity for the Garuda squad to improve, having learned valuable lessons from the 2026 AFF Cup.
Indonesia is also set to face Singapore again in the FIFA ASEAN Cup, as both teams have been drawn into Group A alongside Malaysia and India.
“I can’t wait to face Singapore again. That moment will surely come,” he said.
Herdman stated that the most important lesson learned from the failure in the 2026 AFF Cup was the need to control emotions and remain focused on the task at hand. In his view, the national team players have largely succeeded in doing this.
Tom Haye and his teammates, he continued, gave their all; they simply fell short of scoring a second goal.
Herdman added that the national team players acknowledged the minor errors that had cost the team.
“We won’t see those kinds of things—those small mistakes—in the upcoming tournament,” he said.
Read: Indonesia Drops to Third in AFF Cup Group A After Vietnam Loss
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