Indonesia’s ASEAN Cup Title Builds Confidence for Asian Cup 2027

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup title gives the national team valuable confidence and experience ahead of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, where it will face three teams from across Asia, including Japan.

Indonesia won the FIFA ASEAN Cup after defeating Thailand 4-2 on penalties at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Main Stadium, Jakarta, on Monday night, October 5, 2026, following a 2-2 draw through extra time.

Indonesian defender Calvin Verdonk said the victory was particularly valuable because Thailand will also be one of Indonesia’s opponents at the Asian Cup.

"That is why this match was important because Thailand are in the same group as us, as is Japan. They are Asian teams, you know," Verdonk told reporters in the GBK Main Stadium mixed zone on Monday, as quoted by Antara.

At the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Indonesia is drawn in Group F alongside Thailand, Qatar and Japan.

The Lille defender acknowledged Japan’s quality but said Indonesia still has opportunities to advance to the next round. "We have opportunities against Thailand and Qatar. We also have an opportunity against Japan, but they are at a different level," he added.

Verdonk said he was not overly concerned about the course of the ASEAN Cup final, including Indonesia’s failure to capitalize after Thailand were reduced to 10 players in normal time following Nicholas Mickelson’s second yellow card in the 81st minute.

For him, the most important outcome was that Indonesia won the title and ended a 35-year wait for a major trophy. "The first trophy, yes, it was a crazy match. We have to play better, but we won. So, it does not matter," he said.

Verdonk described the title as part of a new era for Indonesian football.

He also said the team should not become too focused on its previous final defeats, including Indonesia’s loss to Thailand in the 2002 AFF Cup final in Jakarta. "We have players with good quality, but we still have to improve," the 29-year-old said. ***