John Herdman, the head coach of Indonesia's national football team, has stated that the team should concentrate on their development rather than prematurely thinking about winning the ASEAN Cup 2026. Currently, the team is preparing in Bali, where they recently secured a 3-0 victory against Bali United in a practice match on July 21.

Herdman praised the team's performance, noting the excellent teamwork displayed during the match, which provided playing opportunities for all players and demonstrated significant progress after two weeks of training. "We are starting to see clear signs of our tactical identity," Herdman mentioned on the official website of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI). He added, "The team still has five days to prepare and improve ahead of the ASEAN Cup."

Furthermore, the positive relationships among the players have contributed to Herdman's satisfaction. However, he reminded his players to focus more on the process rather than getting ahead of themselves regarding the ultimate results of the tournament. "My main task is to encourage the players to improve every day. The team has championship potential, but we are not rushing to think about the end results," Herdman stated. "If we progress, the results will come over time. The players are adapting well to the training regimen and becoming more confident."

Previously, midfielder Thom Haye expressed his desire to help Indonesia break a streak of six consecutive losses in the tournament finals. Nonetheless, he reiterated Herdman's perspective of focusing on each match. From an initial training squad of 50 players, Indonesia is expected to narrow it down to 23. Although several dual-nationality players are unable to participate due to overseas commitments, the squad will include forward Ragnar Oratmangoen, midfielder Thom Haye, Ivar Jenner, defender Jordi Amat, Shayne Pattynama, Sandy Walsh, and Jordi Amat. Additionally, players who previously finished fourth in the U23 Asian Championship 2024, including Marselino Ferdinan, Rizky Ridho, and Witan Sulaeman, will also be part of the team.

Indonesia will have a rest day in the first round of Group A on July 24 and will kick off their campaign against Cambodia at home on July 27. Following that, Herdman's team will face Timor-Leste (away, July 31), Vietnam (home, August 3), and Singapore (away, August 7). Leading Indonesian sports outlet Bola has noted that this schedule presents advantages, allowing the coaching staff to monitor and analyze the strengths of their four opponents after the opening match.

The ASEAN Cup 2026 is set to take place from July 24 to August 26, featuring ten teams divided into two groups. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, with each team playing two home and two away matches. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, where they will play home-and-away matches. Vietnam is the defending champion, having won the tournament three times, while Thailand leads with seven titles, followed by Singapore with four and Malaysia with one.