FIFA Matchday November: Match Against Jordan Canceled, John Herdman Revises the Indonesia National Football Team's Schedule.

The Indonesia National Football Team schedule for the November 2026 FIFA Matchday has been adjusted after the upcoming fixture against Jordan was cancelled. Head coach John Herdman has redirected focus to holding a centralized training camp in Bali, to maintain the Garuda Squad's preparations for future international commitments.

This decision also terminates Indonesia's planned away match at Amman International Stadium scheduled for 13 November. The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) opted not to proceed with the fixture after reviewing security conditions across the Middle East region.

PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir had previously delegated drafting of replacement plans to the National Team Board (BTN) and coach Herdman.

"We will let the National Team Board and Coach John discuss and finalise the arrangement for our Plan B," Erick stated in Jakarta on Thursday.

The Jordan Football Association (JFA) announced the match cancellation via its official website on Thursday, 5 November 2026.

JFA confirmed the decision was made following a formal request from PSSI, who also submitted an official apology for being unable to fulfil the scheduled fixture.

Erick explained that player safety was the primary consideration. Additionally, the rescheduling of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup meant this November window no longer served the original preparation objectives.

"Especially since AFC has pushed back the Asian Cup tournament. This November window has lost its purpose as preparatory test matches for the Asian Cup," Erick added.

Regional security concerns have also been flagged internationally. On 6 November, PSSI formally requested cancellation, citing fears that the unstable Middle East situation would negatively impact the psychological condition of players and team staff.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had announced the 2027 Asian Cup schedule change on 3 November. The tournament, originally planned to run from 7 January to 5 February 2027, is now rescheduled to take place between 23 December 2027 and 21 January 2028.

This revised schedule is still pending formal approval from FIFA.

Following the Jordan match cancellation, BTN had initially explored arranging a replacement fixture against Hong Kong. BTN Chairman Sumardji confirmed communications had been opened with the Hong Kong Football Association, however no formal agreement could be finalised as available preparation time became too limited.

Ultimately, PSSI elected to convert this November FIFA Matchday window entirely into a training camp based in Bali. Herdman announced this decision via an official PSSI statement on Friday, 6 November.

"Following the postponement of the AFC Asian Cup, and in consideration of the escalating regional security situation in the Middle East, we have taken the decision not to proceed with the fixtures previously planned in that region," Herdman stated.

The English head coach emphasised that the training camp still carries critical objectives. Alongside maintaining Continuity of the team's program, the camp will be focused on building squad depth and improving overall playing quality.

"Our focus is on strengthening our squad depth, and continuing preparations ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers," he added.

Herdman is planning to combine core senior squad players with several new call-ups for this camp. This arrangement will allow the coaching staff to assess players closely, while also testing tactical understanding and team cohesion.

"This is an important opportunity to evaluate their potential, deepen tactical understanding across the group, and strengthen working dynamics between all players in the national team setup," he explained.

As a result of this schedule change, Indonesia will not play any international matches during the 9-17 November 2026 FIFA Matchday window.

Per the official FIFA international calendar, national teams are eligible to play up to two full international matches during this allocated window.

While this means the team will miss the chance to test their form against international opposition, the Bali training camp will instead give Herdman valuable time to expand his Player Selection pool.

From the draw held last May, Indonesia was placed in Group F alongside Japan, Qatar and Thailand. All three opponents present major challenges as the Garuda squad aim to replicate their 2023 Asian Cup performance, where Indonesia advanced to the Round of 16.

With preparations now shifted to Bali, Herdman has the opportunity to build the team's foundations without taking the risks associated with travelling to the current security hotspot region.

The key challenge now will be ensuring this training camp delivers tangible progress, most notably in developing squad depth and consistent on-pitch performance.