John Herdman, the coach of Indonesia's national football team, has expressed optimism about their prospects in the upcoming 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, which will be held on home soil. In a press conference following a training session at the GBK Madya Stadium in Jakarta on September 23, Herdman stated, "I think we are very optimistic about our chances of winning. As a collective, we believe in our capabilities." Indonesia is placed in Group A alongside Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh, and will play all their group stage matches at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, providing them with a significant home advantage.

Herdman emphasized that the team will not succumb to external pressures or distractions. He urged his players to focus on their performance, stating, "We need to concentrate on ourselves, proving our worth rather than getting caught up in responding to others. This is our battle with the standards we set for ourselves in each match. In terms of talent, Indonesia has more than enough." However, he also recognized a critical disadvantage that Indonesia faces compared to other regional teams, particularly Vietnam and Thailand, which have established a strong team cohesion through years of playing together.

"ASEAN is a very challenging and competitive region. We have a lot of talent, but many teams like Vietnam or Thailand have the experience of a squad that has played together for three, four, or even five years," Herdman admitted. This acknowledgment is particularly pointed towards Vietnam, which boasts a stable core of players and has recently won the AFF Cup twice in a row. The Vietnamese team, coached by Kim Sang-sik, has a significant advantage in terms of synergy, as many key players have been competing alongside each other in important tournaments in recent years. Herdman will need to foster this kind of cohesion within the Indonesian team as they prepare for the tournament.