The Indonesia national team have been training at the Bali United Football Center for about two weeks. The initial 47-player roster have already been halved, as the team endure what has been described as a heavy and intense training program under coach John Herdman.
Haye emphasized that the squad are working tirelessly to ensure they are thoroughly prepared for the tournament. The players are aware of the expectations from their supporters.
Despite reaching the final on six occasions, Indonesia have yet to win the ASEAN Cup.
“We are here to compete for the title,” Haye told She was. “We are not afraid to talk about that goal with our experience playing in big matches, including the final. We know our past. Every member is determined and wants to prove their worth. That’s why we aim for the best and prepare carefully.”
Midfielder Thom Haye during a training session with the Indonesia national team at the Bali United Football Center in Bali, Indonesia, on July 18, 2026. Photo by Bali United |
The ASEAN Championship was inaugurated in 1996 as the Tiger Cup. It was rebranded the AFF Cup in 2007, before adopting the name ASEAN Cup from 2024.
Thailand currently dominate with 11 final appearances and seven titles. Indonesia rank second in final appearances with six, but hold the unfortunate record of losing every single one.
Elsewhere in the region, Singapore maintain a perfect record in their four final appearances. Vietnam have secured the trophy three times out of five finals, while Malaysia had one win in four attempts.
For the 2026 ASEAN Cup, Indonesia have been drawn into Group A alongside Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Singapore.
Vietnam are considered their most formidable group-stage rival. The defending champions have recently bolstered their squad with quality additions, including Brazilian-born naturalized midfielders Nguyen Tai Loc (Geovane Magno) and Do Hoang Hen (Hendrio) and Vietnamese-Slovakian goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang.
Indonesia’s strongest squad, heavily featuring players of Dutch descent competing in European leagues, secured 1-0 and 3-0 victories over Vietnam during the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Those wins propelled Indonesia into the third qualifying round for the first time and directly resulted in the sacking of Vietnam coach Philippe Troussier.
In their most recent encounter during the group stage of the 2024 ASEAN Cup, an Indonesia side fielding their U21 team suffered a 0-1 defeat to Vietnam.
This time, under coach Herdman, Indonesia won’t have the strongest squad due to the timing coinciding with European clubs preparing for the new season. However, many naturalized players can still participate after they returned to play in Indonesia’s domestic league.
Besides Haye, some notable players include defenders Sandy Walsh, Jordi Amat, Justin Hubner, Shayne Pattynama, midfielders Marc Klok, Ivar Jenner, and forwards Raganar Oratmagoen and Rafael Struick. Local players who were part of the fourth-place team at the 2024 U23 Asian Cup also appear, such as defenders Rizky Ridho and Pratama Arhan, midfielders Witan Sulaeman and Marselino Ferdinan, and forward Ramadhan Sananta.
Indonesia will play their opening match against Cambodia at home on July 27. After that, they will face Timor-Leste (away, July 31), Vietnam (home, Aug. 3), and Singapore (away, Aug. 7).
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