The Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association praises the strength of the Vietnam National Team, affirming that his team will not give up

Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohir stated that he continues to place his trust in head coach John Herdman following Indonesia's 0-3 defeat to Vietnam in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

At Pakansari Stadium (Bogor) on the evening of August 3, the Indonesian team suffered a heavy 0-3 loss to the Vietnam national team in front of tens of thousands of home fans. This result dropped the archipelago team to third place in Group A with 6 points, behind Vietnam and Singapore, while facing the risk of elimination from the tournament.

Nevertheless, PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir remained calm and considered the loss to Vietnam not entirely surprising, as the opponent possesses quality players and has undergone very thorough preparation.

"The Vietnam national team is truly a strong and cohesive team, and they also had a long training camp to prepare for this tournament," Erick Thohir said after the match.

Not only did he praise the opponent, but the man who also serves as Indonesia's Minister of Youth and Sports reaffirmed his confidence in coach John Herdman.

"They (Vietnam) have also won the AFF Cup many times. I still have faith in coach John. In my opinion, we just need to adapt because this is a different environment and style of play," the PSSI chairman asserted.

This defeat also extends Indonesia's poor run of results against Vietnam in the ASEAN Cup. The last time the Indonesian team beat Vietnam in this tournament was back in 2016.

Despite being at a disadvantage in the race for a semifinal spot, Erick Thohir affirmed that Indonesia will not give up. In the final group stage match, Rizky Ridho and his teammates will be guests at Singapore's stadium on August 7 in a decisive encounter.

"We must acknowledge Vietnam's performance, but that does not mean we surrender. In the next match against Singapore, we will try our best," the PSSI chairman continued.

The Indonesian team must win against Singapore if they want to keep their hopes of reaching the semifinals alive, while the Vietnam team holds a significant advantage after their convincing 3-0 victory right at Pakansari Stadium.