Indonesia coach admits Vietnam team is the toughest opponent in ASEAN Cup.

John Herdman, head coach of Indonesia, stated that Vietnam would be the most challenging adversary for Indonesia in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Championship, scheduled from July 24 to August 26, 2026.

The Indonesia team is in the same group as Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste.

On the sidelines of a training session at the Bali United Training Center (BUTC), Purnama Beach, Gianyar, this morning on July 10, 2026, Coach John Herdman said that the Vietnam team started preparing very early for this tournament. According to him, thorough preparation could help Vietnam cause many difficulties for Indonesia.

"I think Vietnam is a top contender for this tournament. From the preparations they have made, including bringing back overseas Vietnamese players. They know how to win," John Herdman replied. detik.com.

According to Herdman, facing a truly strong team will be a unique challenge for Indonesia. However, he personally admitted that he once hoped Indonesia could meet Malaysia in the group stage.

"We are happy with that. Facing a strong team is a test for ourselves," he emphasized.

Mr. Herdman affirmed that Indonesia's preparation is not late even though opponents started earlier. According to the former Canada coach, the players' mental and physical condition has been honed through tournaments, both for domestic players and overseas players competing outside Indonesia.

"I think the 2025/2026 season was a long season for our players. The focus now is to build a fitness foundation for those who have just gone through the pre-season period. They have been out of competition for a long time, so we are now building physical capacity to start the tournament," Herdman emphasized.

Besides preparing the team's condition, Herdman is still monitoring players to determine the official squad. According to him, although the training camp has been going on for nearly a week, not all called-up players have joined the training camp at BUTC.

He expects all players to assemble at the training camp on Monday (July 13) or Tuesday (July 14).

The content of the training sessions focuses not only on fitness and physical strength enhancement but also includes scrimmages between the Red and White teams, including finishing drills.