The physical endurance of Indonesian National Team players in John Herdman's era has come under public spotlight.

Semen Padang Football Club President Andre Rosiade has levelled criticism at Indonesian national team head coach John Herdman after the Garuda Team failed to secure the ASEAN Hyundai Cup, the 2026 AFF Cup. Andre's scrutiny was not limited purely to the final tournament result; he also called attention to what he observed as declining physical condition among the squad.

Indonesia has once again fallen short of ending its decades-long wait for an AFF Cup title. For the 2026 edition, the Garuda Team failed to even qualify for the semi-final round, finishing only third in the group standings with 7 total points.

This defeat extends Indonesia's winless record at the Southeast Asian tournament, which was first hosted in Singapore in 1996. To this day, Indonesia has never lifted the AFF Cup trophy.

According to Andre, John Herdman is rightfully subject to evaluation and criticism, noting that public scrutiny is a normal and expected part of any professional coach's career.

"John Herdman must accept that he will be criticised. At the end of the day he is only human. As far as I am concerned, his honeymoon period is over. It is entirely reasonable for people to criticise him right now. With all the naturalised players we have assembled for this squad, we still underperformed," Andre stated during an official team launch event in Alam Sutera, Tangerang.

Indonesia Fails To Reach Semi-Finals For Second Consecutive Tournament

Exit from the 2026 AFF Cup marks the second straight edition where Indonesia has been unable to progress past the group stage into the knockout semi-finals.

The Garuda Team still held a clear path to qualification going into their final group fixture. However, Indonesia could only secure a 1-1 draw against tournament hosts Singapore.

This result left Indonesia in third place on 7 points at the close of the group stage. Singapore finished second with 8 points to advance, alongside group winners Vietnam who topped the table on 10 points.

Player Fitness Levels Under Herdman Draws Major Scrutiny

One of the core concerns raised by Andre was the physical stamina of the Indonesian national squad. He drew direct comparison between player performance under John Herdman and the previous tenure of head coach Shin Tae-yong.

Andre observed that players under Shin's leadership demonstrated far superior physical endurance, and were consistently able to maintain full match intensity right through stoppage time.

By contrast, he noted a clear drop in stamina among the squad under Herdman. Andre stated that Indonesian players now regularly begin showing visible signs of exhaustion at approximately the 60th minute of matches.

"With all due respect, I am just a football fan, I am not here to defend Shin Tae-yong. But the facts are undeniable: under John Herdman, by the 60th minute our players are already completely out of breath," he commented.

Andre clarified that this criticism was not intended to discredit the English coach. Instead he urged Herdman to use this feedback for constructive evaluation to strengthen the national team.

He stressed that Herdman must implement urgent improvements, and avoid complacency despite the widespread high expectations that accompanied his appointment as Indonesia's head coach.

Champion Target Set For 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup

The Indonesian national team is scheduled to compete at the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, running 24 September to 4 October. Indonesia has been drawn into top division Group A alongside Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh.

Andre framed this upcoming tournament as a critical opportunity for Herdman and the Garuda squad to prove their capabilities. Given the quality of player talent available, he stated Indonesia cannot set modest or compromised targets.

"We have to win this. There are no excuses, there is no acceptable outcome other than becoming champions," he concluded.