ASEAN Cup 2026: Why Indonesia Coach Emulates PSG's Luis Enrique, Watches Match from the Stands?

John Herdman made an unexpected choice to stay off the coaching bench during the initial 30 minutes of Indonesia's 5-1 win against Cambodia in the ASEAN Hyundai Cup (AFF Cup) 2026 Group A fixture at Pakansari Stadium (Bogor) on July 27 evening.

Instead of directly managing from the technical area, the English tactician chose to sit in the stands to observe the match from a different tactical perspective. According to Herdman, this was part of a plan to test the leadership skills and self-reliance of the Indonesian players under real match conditions.

Despite the absence of the coach on the sidelines, the Indonesian team played proactively and remained well-organized. The hosts scored three goals within the first 30 minutes of the match. Mitchell Baker netted a brace before Sandy Walsh made it 3-0.

After the game, Herdman revealed that his decision had been prepared in advance with the team's leadership group.

"The most important thing is to empower the players. We have done a lot of work behind the scenes with the team's leadership group," Herdman shared with the media.

He stated that Indonesia currently has six players acting as leaders and believes they are capable of guiding the team without constant instructions from the coach on the sideline.

"I think we have a fantastic leadership group. They don't need the coach to always stand by their side. As you saw, the team scored three goals when I wasn't in the technical area. That shows this is a collective with many leaders. There will be times when they need the coach, but tonight was not one of them," the English tactician said.

Beyond testing his players' leadership abilities, Herdman also wanted to observe how the team operated tactically from a broader perspective. He considered this an opportunity to verify what the entire squad had built during three weeks of pre-tournament preparation.

"For me, it was important to watch the match from a different tactical angle to see how what we prepared over the past three weeks was executed under match pressure, in front of a large crowd, and against a tough opponent. It was a very positive evening, and I was able to observe everything I needed," Herdman stated.

Indonesian media also noted that a similar approach was once used by coach Luis Enrique while leading Paris Saint-Germain. In a match in September 2025, the Spanish manager also watched the first half from the stands and relayed instructions through his assistants.

On the field, Herdman's experiment proved effective. Although Cambodia reduced the deficit early in the second half, Indonesia remained fully in control. Mitchell Baker completed a hat-trick on his AFF Cup 2026 debut, before Jens Raven sealed the 5-1 victory.

This result gave Indonesia a favorable start in Group A and showed that Herdman is aiming to build a team that is not only strong in technical ability but also capable of making decisions and adapting on the pitch. After the match against Cambodia, the Indonesian team will continue their AFF Cup 2026 campaign with an away game against Timor Leste on July 31.