JAKARTA — Indonesia national football team coach John Herdman has moved swiftly to align his players’ vision and commitment ahead of the crucial FIFA Matchday fixtures this June.
The Garuda squad is set to play two international friendlies against Oman and Mozambique as the foundation for building the team towards the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and World Cup Qualifiers.
According to the latest FIFA rankings, the Oman national football team currently sits at 79th in the world.
With a total of 1,313.46 points, Oman is considered one of the top-tier teams in the Asian region.
Amid limited preparation time due to the ongoing coaching transition, Indonesia’s coach John Herdman admitted that his players are currently going through a challenging internal phase.
In a structured and measured explanation, here are the main reasons why John Herdman described the Indonesia national team as being in a tough situation ahead of their match against Oman:
1. Physical Fatigue Due to a Long and Demanding Season
The biggest obstacle lies in the players’ physical condition, which has been heavily drained.
All members of the Indonesia national team have just completed a long and exhausting domestic and international season.
2. Lack of Rest and Recovery Time
Because the domestic season concluded very close to the FIFA Matchday schedule, players have had almost no time to recover.
Without an adequate break, they had to immediately shift focus and adapt to the high-intensity training sessions of the national camp.
“We had a good team meeting last night, which was very important to strengthen our mentality ahead of this training camp. It’s a tough period for the players because they’ve just come off a long season,” said John Herdman through the official Indonesia National Team YouTube channel.
To address the tough situation, the coach from Consett immediately conducted an internal meeting to inject motivation and strengthen player chemistry.
Coach Herdman emphasized to the Garuda squad that limited preparation time should not be used as an excuse to lower their intensity on the field.
“The key is ensuring their commitment to our main objectives here — preparing for the Asian Cup in the medium term and staying focused on World Cup qualification. We always return to that principle to build commitment and a sense of purpose. The players are clear about it, and their on-field intensity tonight proved unaffected,” Herdman stated firmly.
Furthermore, Herdman reminded his players not to underestimate the strength of Oman and Mozambique.
According to him, Oman is one of Asia’s top teams, boasting a superior ranking and tactical maturity well above Indonesia’s current level.
“I keep stressing: focus on one match at a time, one opponent at a time. It’s very clear that Oman is a top team in Asia. We know our position coming from Pot 4 and we also know their ranking. Oman is an experienced team that knows how to win matches,” Herdman concluded.
