Indonesia aims to dethrone the Vietnam national team at the Asean Cup

Following a remarkable showing during the June FIFA Days, which included wins against Oman and Mozambique, Indonesia's national team is now entirely concentrating on the 2026 AFF Cup.

The tournament, formerly known as the Tiger Cup and first held in 1996, will take place from July 24 to August 26 this year.

To date, Indonesia has never won the title. They have reached the final six times but finished as runners-up on each occasion. Therefore, in this year's AFF Cup, coach John Herdman and his squad are expected to end their long wait.

Since the AFF Cup is not part of the FIFA Days calendar, coach John Herdman will likely field top domestic players along with some other naturalized talents.

Famous Indonesian football commentator Ronny Pangemanan (Bung Ropan) has shared the latest updates on the preparations of Rizky Ridho and his teammates.

"The latest news is that head coach John Herdman is preparing the team for the AFF Cup. The tournament will run from July 24 to August 26. We've just come through a FIFA Matchday with excellent results.

Now, John Herdman's goal is to make the team soar at the AFF Cup."

According to Bung Ropan, the time has come for Indonesia to win the championship after six second-place finishes. He believes John Herdman's arrival could be a turning point for the archipelago's team at Southeast Asia's biggest competition.

"We've finished runners-up six times. Even coach Shin Tae-yong participated in three AFF Cups and failed each time. So this is an opportunity for John Herdman."

Bung Ropan is confident Indonesia can achieve this goal because the team now has quality players across all positions.

Two key pillars, Thom Haye and Shayne Pattynama, who missed the last four matches due to FIFA suspensions, have been confirmed eligible to play at the AFF Cup.

"Both of their bans have ended. Besides that, Indonesia also has Jordi Amat, Mauro Zijlstra, Jens Raven, and Ivar Jenner."

These names will join other stars such as Rizky Ridho, Dony Tri Pamungkas, Beckham Putra, Eksel Runtukahu, Rayhan Hannan, and Witan Sulaeman.

"That's why I say this team is very strong, especially with the addition of players who didn't feature in the recent FIFA Matchday," Bung Ropan emphasized.

Wasting no time, the Indonesian national team will soon hold a training camp to prepare for the 2026 AFF Cup.

"To prepare for the AFF Cup, the called-up players will gather in about two weeks. There will also be additional call-ups. According to the information I've received, the training camp will be held in Bali, at the headquarters of Bali United FC," Bung Ropan revealed.