Indonesia Team and the 'Runner-up Curse' of the ASEAN Cup

Having entered the final 6 times and lost all 6, Indonesia remains the most peculiar team in ASEAN Cup history. At this year's tournament, the responsibility to end that "curse" falls on coach John Herdman.

In their very first appearance in 1996 under Danurwindo, Indonesia reached the semifinals. Two years later, they finished third, before entering what is considered the "golden generation" period. From 2000 to 2004, Indonesia made three consecutive finals under the guidance of Nandar Iskandar, Ivan Kolev, and Peter With, but they finished as runners-up each time. In 2010 and 2016, Alfred Riedl again led Garuda to the finals, yet the result remained unchanged. Most recently, in the 2020 ASEAN Cup, Shin Tae Yong helped Indonesia come close to the title before losing in the final match.

Indonesia is the team that has reached the final the most times without ever winning, a paradox that accurately reflects the regret-filled history of a football nation with one of the largest fan bases in the region. Therefore, the pressure on John Herdman is immense. He is not only expected to bring a new professional look but also to change the mentality of a group that has always been haunted by failures in finals.

The coach who once led both the women's and men's Canadian national teams to the World Cup knows how to build a team with character. Under Herdman, Indonesia continues to possess a highly competitive squad with a series of naturalized players of Dutch origin such as Thom Haye, Sandy Walsh, Jordi Amat, Justin Hubner, Ivar Jenner, and Ragnar Oratmangoen.

Although they cannot call up all the stars playing in Europe because the ASEAN Cup does not take place during the FIFA calendar, Garuda is still considered a strong candidate for the championship.