Indonesia Targets FIFA ASEAN Cup Glory as Herdman Nears Squad Announcement
- 14 Sep 2026 15:43 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Poin Utama
- Head Coach John Herdman announced that the Indonesian national football team is nearing its final squad selection for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.
- PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir confirmed multiple key players will miss the tournament due to injuries.
- Herdman reaffirmed Indonesia's firm objective to win the regional championship.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's ambition to lift the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 title is taking shape as head coach John Herdman moves closer to finalizing the Garuda squad, although several injury concerns continue to complicate the selection process.
The Southeast Asian tournament will run from September 24 to October 5, with Indonesia hosting Division 1 matches at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Central Jakarta and Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung Regency, West Java.
Speaking during the announcement of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 broadcast rights holder at SCTV Tower in Central Jakarta on Monday, September 14, Herdman said the coaching staff was in the final stages of determining the squad list. "We are close. We are very close (to announcing the squad)," Herdman said, as quoted by Antara.
The Canadian coach explained that the core of the squad had already been identified, but recent injuries forced the team to reassess several players before making a final decision.
"We actually have a very clear picture of the squad in our minds, but a few injuries in recent days have created challenges for us. We need to evaluate the condition of two or three players from last weekend and then finalize everything," he said.
One of the players drawing attention is Indonesia captain Jay Idzes, who appeared to suffer a problem with his left thigh during Sassuolo's dramatic 3-2 victory over Juventus in Serie A on Sunday night local time. The defender was substituted in the 81st minute by coach Alberto Aquilani and replaced by Croatian defender Duje Caleta-Car.
Meanwhile, PSSI chairman Erick Thohir confirmed that three overseas-based Indonesian players will miss the tournament because of injuries. They are Adrian Wibowo, Miliano Jonathans, and Mees Hilgers.
In addition to those absences, Marselino Ferdinan is also unlikely to feature after undergoing knee surgery in Spain last month. Despite the injury setbacks, Herdman stressed that Indonesia's objective remains unchanged.
"We have one vision heading into this tournament, and that is to win the FIFA ASEAN Cup. That is our mission and a way to honor the ambition of the organization that has given us this opportunity. The time is now," he concluded. ***
News Recomendation
Memuat berita terbaru.....