Indonesia National Team Aims for Asian Achievements on Par with Vietnam

Indonesian football is entering its most ambitious phase in many years as the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) consecutively sets major goals for the national team in continental competitions.

According to the Bola, after publicly declaring their ambition to win the 2026 AFF Cup, football officials from the archipelago have identified the 2027 Asian Cup as a crucial benchmark for progress, with the minimum target being to reach the quarterfinals, a feat Vietnam achieved in 2019.

In the most recent Asian Cup held in Qatar in January–February 2024, the Indonesian team advanced to the round of 16 before being eliminated by Australia. Since then, Indonesia has shown significant improvement. In the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, the team reached the fourth round for the first time, marking a historic milestone.

PSSI Executive Committee member, Mr. Arya Sinulingga, shared on the YouTube channel Liputan6: “Indonesia’s goal at the 2027 Asian Cup is to reach the quarterfinals.” The objective of making the top 8 at the 2027 Asian Cup will be placed on the shoulders of the new head coach, who will replace Patrick Kluivert. According to Bola, John Herdman is currently the leading candidate for the Garuda’s head coach position.

John Herdman gained recognition by leading Canada to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, and his experience is expected to leave a mark if he officially coaches Indonesia at the 2027 Asian Cup. PSSI’s aim to reach the Asian Cup quarterfinals also reflects ambitions to match or even surpass the achievements of regional rivals like Vietnam and Thailand, both of whom made significant impacts on the Asian stage.

At the 2019 Asian Cup, Vietnam, under coach Park Hang-seo, caused a major upset by defeating Jordan in a penalty shootout in the round of 16, advancing to the quarterfinals. Although they narrowly lost to Japan in the quarterfinals, Vietnam earned great respect from Asian football experts. The 2019 Asian Cup ended with Vietnam among the top 8 teams in Asia, marking a historic milestone for Vietnamese football and setting a standard for other Southeast Asian teams to follow.