Indonesia Absent from FIFA Matchday: Facing Bali United, Herdman Tests the Depth of the Garuda Squad.

The Indonesia National Team has secured an opponent to evaluate the squad's progress during their training camp in Bali. Head coach John Herdman confirmed that the Garuda squad will play a friendly match against Bali United this weekend. 

This fixture gives Herdman the chance to assess player performance in live match conditions, after planned international test matches for the November 2026 FIFA Matchday failed to go ahead.

"We will be holding a friendly match against Bali United this weekend," stated Indonesia National Team Head Coach John Herdman, on the sidelines of the training camp launch at Bali United Training Center, Sukawati, Gianyar Regency, Bali.

The match will be held behind closed doors with no public spectators permitted. Herdman designed this arrangement to allow his coaching staff unobstructed observation of player capabilities, specifically to monitor execution of tactical instructions and technical gameplay principles.

Bali United was not selected by chance. Known by their nickname Tridatu Soldiers, the club is one of the elite top-flight sides in Indonesian domestic football. 

Going up against a properly competitive opponent will provide far more reliable data on the readiness of Indonesia National Team Players than standard routine training sessions alone.

Herdman will also utilise this match to measure squad depth. All 22 players attending the Bali training camp have been under consistent observation by the coaching staff over the previous twelve months.

"I'm really looking forward to this. I've told my staff that after this weekend concludes, we will have a far clearer picture of the depth we have available in this squad," he commented.

Opportunity for Taisei Marukawa & Position Experiment for Tim Geypens

Alongside evaluating established national squad members, Herdman is directing specific focus to several individuals during this training camp.

One of these players is Taisei Marukawa. The Japanese-born Dewa United winger is currently in the process of completing Indonesian citizenship naturalisation.

Marukawa has been invited to train full time with the Indonesia National Team while his naturalisation proceedings remain ongoing.

This call-up allows Herdman to observe Marukawa's playing style first-hand, as well as assess how the player integrates and adapts with his potential new teammates.

Another player under review is Bali United left-back Tim Geypens. Herdman has identified untapped potential to deploy Geypens in alternative positions within the national team setup.

"I really respect the work Johnny Jansen (Bali United head coach) has done with him here. I want to test him operating centrally, so we will be giving him game minutes in midfield. That is an area we are targeting to strengthen with Tim for the national side," he explained.

This remark confirms Herdman is not restricting player assessments solely to the positions they occupy at club level. He is actively exploring the development of new player roles, in order to expand tactical flexibility for the Indonesia National Team.

Alongside Geypens and Marukawa, this training camp also sees the return of Rafael Struick to the national setup, following his last call-up for the final two fixtures of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers third round back in June.

Bali Training Camp Replaces Cancelled International Schedule

The Indonesia National Team training camp is running from 9 to 17 November 2026 at the Bali United Training Center. This programme was arranged after planned fixtures in the Middle East were scrapped, following the official postponement of the 2027 Asian Cup and due to ongoing regional security concerns.

Originally, the November FIFA Matchday window had been allocated for official international friendly matches. Once these plans collapsed, Herdman opted to retain the team schedule with this dedicated training camp and the closed-door friendly against Bali United.

The programme in Bali forms part of long term preparation work ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2030. Core objectives include raising overall gameplay standards, building squad depth, and developing shared tactical understanding and on-pitch chemistry between players.

Of the 22 called up players, the majority are contracted to domestic Indonesian clubs. Only four players are currently active with overseas teams: Mees Hilgers (SC Heerenveen), Noah Adnan (Loudoun United), Adrian Wibowo (Los Angeles FC), and Luke Vickery (Macarthur FC).

Full 22 Indonesia National Team Players Called Up For Bali Training Camp

Goalkeepers
1. Nadeo Argawinata – Persija Jakarta
2. Reza Arya – Persebaya Surabaya

Defenders
3. Mees Hilgers – SC Heerenveen
4. Alfarezzi Buffon – Dewa United FC
5. Altah Ballah – Dewa United FC
6. Dion Markx – Persita Tangerang
7. Dony Tri Pamungkas – Persija Jakarta
8. Noah Adnan – Loudoun United
9. Rizky Ridho – Persija Jakarta
10. Shayne Pattynama – Persija Jakarta
11. Tim Geypens – Bali United

Midfielders
12. Egy Maulana Vikri – Dewa United
13. Ivar Jenner – Dewa United
14. Rayhan Hannan – Persija Jakarta
15. Taisei Marukawa – Dewa United
16. Zanadin Fariz – Persik Kediri

Forwards
17. Adrian Wibowo – Los Angeles FC
18. Arlyansyah Abdulmanan – Persija Jakarta
19. Jens Raven – Bali United
20. Luke Vickery – Macarthur FC
21. Rafael Struick – Dewa United
22. Ragnar Oratmangoen – Persib Bandung