Jakarta - There are two key updates from the Indonesia National Team's preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. During training at Madya Stadium, Gelora Bung Karno Jakarta on Tuesday (22/9/2026), Kevin Diks has been officially appointed as the new captain of the Garuda squad.
At the same time, head coach John Herdman has expressed strong confidence regarding Indonesia's chances to win the tournament title.
Kevin Diks replaces Jay Idzes, who has been ruled out due to injury. This appointment was confirmed to media following the national team training session at Madya Stadium, when the Borussia Mönchengladbach defender spoke to reporters.
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For Diks, this trust is an immense honour. He stated that he has always made efforts to support the team, and is now ready to take on this greater leadership role with Idzes out of the squad.
Diks also acknowledged that the entire Indonesia National Team feels the absence of Idzes. However, the unavailability of their first-choice captain means every other player will need to take on additional responsibility.
Previously, when Idzes missed the June FIFA Matchday fixtures, the captain's armband was handed to Rizky Ridho. For the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, this duty now falls to Diks.
This change of captaincy is one of the major talking points ahead of Indonesia's opening tournament match.
Garuda will face Singapore on Friday (25/9/2026) at 20.00 WIB, held at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium Jakarta. Indonesia is drawn in Group A alongside Singapore, Malaysia, and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, John Herdman remains highly optimistic. The English head coach has openly stated that the Indonesia National Team is fully confident they can win the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup.
Herdman assessed that Indonesia possesses all the talent required to compete. He believes that if the Garuda squad can stay focused on their own game and maintain consistent performance standards in every match, they hold very strong odds of lifting the trophy.
However, Herdman also recognises that the challenges ahead will not be easy.
He noted that multiple Southeast Asian teams carry an advantage from having played together as a settled unit for 3 to 5 years. By comparison, Indonesia is still building its new playing identity under Herdman, who has held the head coach position for less than one year.
For this reason, Herdman is adopting a match-by-match approach. The first and immediate priority is facing Singapore and securing three full points in the opening fixture.
Tournament preparations continue. Following the Tuesday training session at Madya Stadium, Herdman still has remaining time to finalise tactics and confirm the best playing line-up against Singapore.
Indonesia will then face Malaysia on Monday (28/9), before closing the group stage against Bangladesh on Thursday (1/10). All Group A matches will be played at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium.
Herdman's target is clear: to lead Indonesia all the way to become tournament champions.
This target must now begin with the very first step.
Kevin Diks will lead the Garuda squad with the captain's armband, and Singapore will be the first test for Indonesia on their journey towards the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup trophy.
