The disappointing result at Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night left Indonesia in third place in Group A with seven points from four matches.
Vietnam topped the group with 10 points, while Singapore finished second with eight to both secure their spots in the semifinals.
The early exit marks a major setback for Indonesia. They had started the tournament with two consecutive wins and initially held a strong position in the race to advance.
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Coach John Herdman at the press conference after Indonesia’s 0-3 defeat to Vietnam at home in Pakansari Stadium at the ASEAN Cup on Aug. 3, 2026. Photo by Read/Duc Dong |
Immediately after the final whistle on Friday, a massive wave of criticism directed at Herdman erupted on X.
The hashtag #JohnHerdmanOut appeared in dozens of posts. Many passionate fans argued that the Canadian coach has to take full responsibility for Indonesia’s early exit.
“John out,” a user wrote, accompanied by the trending hashtag.
Many others simply posted the hashtag to express their frustration and desire for a coaching change.
A fan went further, calling for a complete overhaul in Indonesian football leadership by posting: “#JohnHerdmanOut #ErickThohirOut.” Erick Thohir currently serves as both the Minister of Youth and Sports and the President of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).
Another post garnered attention as it criticized Herdman for a lack of tactical options when the team hit a dead end: “Is that all you’ve got, John? No Plan B, poor tactics, disjointed attack, and chaotic defense.”
One fan complained about Herdman’s squad rotation, posting: “#JohnHerdmanOut, terrible player selection.”
“Indonesia are packing their bags. It’s over. Either John Herdman or Erick Thohir needs to step down,” another commented.
Many fans also compared Herdman to his predecessor, Shin Tae-yong. According to Indonesian media, supporters argued that if Shin faced heavy criticism following failures in youth tournaments, Herdman should be judged by the exact same standard after failing at the ASEAN Cup.
Shin was dismissed after Indonesia were eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 ASEAN Cup, fielding a squad composed almost entirely of U23 players. Many Indonesian fans want Herdman to face the same fate now.
Before the tournament began, Herdman was widely expected to lead Indonesia to title contention. He commanded a squad heavily bolstered by naturalized players, creating a roster considered one of the strongest in Southeast Asia.
The team made a strong start with a 5-1 victory over Cambodia and a 3-0 win against Timor-Leste, securing maximum points from their first two matches.
However, a crushing 0-3 loss to Vietnam in the third round dropped Indonesia to third place. Heading into the decisive match against Singapore, they needed a win to secure a spot in the semifinals.
2026 ASEAN Cup Group A: Singapore 1-1 Indonesia
Indonesia dominated possession for much of the game and opened the scoring early in the second half through Ragnar Oratmangoen.
A crucial turning point occurred, however, when a red card shown to Singapore’s Song Ui-young was canceled following a VAR review.
After that, Ilhan Fandi capitalized on a defensive error by the visitors to equalize for Singapore in the 66th minute.
Indonesia pushed forward in search of a winner during the remaining time but failed to score again.
This marks the first time Herdman has faced such intense pressure from fans since taking charge of Indonesia in early 2026.
While the media and supporters had previously criticized him for heavy squad rotation following the loss to Vietnam, the public backlash only intensified after the team failed to advance past the group stage.