PSSI Chairman, Erick Tohir when introducing John Herdman, the new coach of the Indonesian National Team. Doc: PSSI
JAKARTA, JAKTIMES.COM — The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has officially announced the appointment of John Herdman as the new head coach of the Indonesia National Team. The announcement was made on Saturday, January 3, 2026, marking the beginning of a new era in Indonesian football.
Herdman is not just another coach, but a proven architect with extensive experience in leading national teams to the FIFA World Cup.
PSSI welcomed the arrival of the 50-year-old coach with great enthusiasm. Herdman’s impressive track record was the main reason behind his appointment. He is widely recognized as the only coach in the world to have successfully led both the men’s and women’s national teams of the same country to the FIFA World Cup.
With the New Zealand women’s national team, John Herdman appeared at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2007 and 2011. He also made history by guiding the team to back-to-back Olympic bronze medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
On the men’s side, Herdman achieved another historic milestone by leading Canada to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, ending a 36-year absence from the world’s biggest football stage. Under his leadership, Canada’s FIFA ranking surged dramatically from 77th to 33rd in the world.
PSSI believes Herdman’s experience and ability to build a strong football foundation will elevate Indonesia’s national team to a higher level of international competitiveness.
In 2026, Herdman and the Garuda squad will face a packed schedule. The Indonesia senior national team is set to compete in the FIFA Series during the FIFA Match Day window from March 23–31, 2026, at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta. This will be followed by additional FIFA Match Day fixtures in June, September, October, and November.
Indonesia is also scheduled to participate in the AFF Cup 2026, which is set to kick off on July 25, 2026.
The appointment of John Herdman is expected to become a turning point for Indonesian football as the nation aims to enter a more competitive and successful era on the global stage (Wan)