New Indonesia head coach John Herdman calls on team to turn disappointment into success
The 50-year-old Englishman believes the team have the talent to qualify for 2030 World Cup and challenge for regional and continental titles
New Indonesia head coach John Herdman has called on the country to harness the disappointment of previous failures to fuel qualification for a first World Cup and to challenge for regional and continental titles.
Herdman was officially unveiled as Patrick Kluivert’s successor on Monday after the Dutchman parted company with the Indonesians following an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals.
Indonesia reached the fourth round of Asia’s qualifiers for the first time last year with a squad built largely from players born overseas, and Herdman said that the experience will provide a platform for the team to improve.
“I’m sure the fans want to be at the World Cup in 2026 but you have to suffer, you have to feel it,” Herdman said following the draw for the group stages of the Asean Championship on Thursday.
“This was a new group of players, Indonesian players trying to come together and connect in a short period of time.
“The talent’s there but often that talent takes time to come together, to really feel what you feel. Those defeats are what create the foundation for the future.