Former Indonesia national team coach Shin Tae-yong has welcomed John Herdman as the new Garuda team coach. He believes Indonesian football will improve under his leadership, with fan support. Shin highlighted his past achievements and optimism for the future.
Shin Tae-yong Discusses Future of Indonesia National Team Under John Herdman
Jakarta – Former Indonesia national team coach Shin Tae-yong has welcomed John Herdman as the new Garuda team coach. The South Korean coach believes that under Herdman, who led Canada to the 2022 World Cup, Indonesian football has a chance to achieve better results.
"Now there's a new national team coach. The atmosphere is very good too, it has changed to good. And I believe if there's good support from Indonesian football fans, it will definitely bring good results," Shin said during a press conference in South Jakarta on Friday (21/2/2026), as reported by ANTARA.
Shin handled the Indonesia national team from 2020 to 2025, with 57 matches: 26 wins, 14 draws, and 17 losses. Under him, the team reached the round of 16 in the 2023 Asian Cup for the first time, qualified for the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, and automatically advanced to the 2027 Asian Cup. The U-23 team also reached the semifinals of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup and nearly qualified for the 2024 Olympics.
"I've said it several times, Indonesian football is developing and it will continue to develop in the future," said the 55-year-old Shin.
After Shin, Patrick Kluivert coached four matches in the third round of qualifiers, securing two wins to advance to the fourth round. However, losses to Saudi Arabia and Iraq prevented Indonesia from reaching the 2026 World Cup. Shin remains optimistic if Herdman builds a solid team structure.
