Indonesia coach: 'Vietnam is the strongest opponent in the tournament'

Ahead of the decisive clash with the Vietnam national team in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup, coach John Herdman affirmed that this is Indonesia's biggest challenge since the start of the tournament. The English tactician rated Vietnam as the strongest team in the competition and believes his players are ready to fight for control of the top spot.

John Herdman's team has won both of their first two matches, following a 5-1 victory over Cambodia with a 3-0 win over Timor Leste in Chonburi. The English coach is very eager for the showdown with defending champions Vietnam.

"Tomorrow will be an extremely tough challenge. These are the matches you always want to be part of in tournaments: facing the strongest teams when both sides need results.

For us, this is a great opportunity to take control of the group situation. Vietnam also has many goals to strive for, so this promises to be an exciting match for the fans and even more thrilling for the players."

After an easy win over Cambodia, Indonesia had to wait until the final minutes to beat Timor Leste. However, coach Herdman stated that he is not too concerned about how his team secures victories.

"I'm not too worried about delivering a perfect performance. I've never seen a team play perfectly throughout an entire match. Football always has moments that change the course of the game, emotions, red cards, referee decisions, and many other situations.

What I can confirm is that the players will be ready to compete tomorrow against the opponent I consider the strongest in the tournament. They are ready to fight and give their all for the fans."

Meanwhile, coach Kim Sang Sik faces a do-or-die task in the match against Indonesia in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup.

Any result other than a win against the team that has finished runner-up six times could leave Vietnam facing the risk of finishing outside the top two in the group and missing out on the semi-finals.

"Tomorrow's match is extremely important for our chances of advancing. We understand that we must win. This is an away match, so the playing conditions and psychological factors could create many difficulties.

However, the whole team is highly motivated and hopes to get the victory tomorrow."

The Vietnam team started the tournament with a 7-0 win over Timor Leste, but a 0-0 draw with Singapore pushed Kim Sang Sik's side down to third place in the standings, behind group leaders Indonesia and Singapore.

That means if they lose to John Herdman's team, Vietnam will have to rely on results from other matches to keep their hopes alive, while even a draw could threaten their chance of reaching the semi-finals.

"We have analyzed Indonesia's first two matches, and they clearly have a very strong squad. Mitch Baker is tall, very strong in aerial duels, and difficult to defend against due to his positioning and finishing ability.

However, Vietnam has not conceded a goal in their first two matches, so our defenders are also very confident. Defense is not the responsibility of a single player. The entire defensive system must maintain cohesion and close coordination."