Indonesian media: "Defending champions Vietnam embarrass John Herdman's team"

Numerous Indonesian online outlets have featured articles and statistics detailing the "suffering" and challenging predicament of the local squad, also noting the overwhelming power of Vietnam following the match on August 3, 2026.

"Vietnam leads Group A, forcing Indonesia to win against Singapore" is the headline of a piece on Indonesia's Bola newspaper.

In another article, a newspaper ran the headline: "Defending champions Vietnam humiliate Indonesia after Nadeo's mistake." The article states: "The Indonesian team was crushed by Vietnam with a score of 0-3, a painful reality for John Herdman and Nadeo Argawinata."

"Vietnam entered this match sitting third in the standings, two points behind Garuda. However, the team's maturity in play under coach Kim Sang-sik was clearly evident, contrasting with the disjointed and uncoordinated style of John Herdman's Indonesia."

Another Indonesian newspaper, DetikSport, published an article titled: "Indonesia loses 0-3 to Vietnam. Now the ASEAN Cup semi-final dream is fading away."

"The Indonesian team suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat against Vietnam in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Cup. This result makes Garuda's chances of reaching the semi-finals more difficult than ever," the newspaper commented.

Indonesia's Merahputih newspaper pointed out three statistics highlighting the "pain" of the home team and the strength of the Vietnamese national team after the clash on the evening of August 4. The newspaper stated:

"The 0-3 loss to Vietnam is the heaviest defeat for the Indonesian team in the history of encounters with Vietnam at the AFF Cup.

Before this match, Indonesia had never lost to Vietnam by a three-goal margin in the largest football tournament in Southeast Asia.

Garuda once lost 0-4 to Vietnam, but that match took place in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in 2021, not at the AFF Cup."

"The victory over Indonesia helped the Vietnamese national team extend its unbeaten streak to 21 matches across all competitions.

"The 'Golden Star Warriors' have now gone 21 consecutive matches without defeat, with a record of 18 wins and 3 draws. The 3-0 demolition of Indonesia continues the impressive run of coach Kim Sang-sik's team."

"The loss to Vietnam has pushed the Indonesian team into a very difficult position in the race for a semi-final spot.

Garuda faces the risk of elimination if they fail to win their final match against Singapore. Indonesia's chances of advancing now depend heavily on the outcome of this decisive game."