FIFA ASEAN Cup
Head coach John Herdman was unreserved in his praise for the players and was pleased to be able to repay the faith from the stands.
“This is a proud moment for Indonesia,” said Herdman. “The first trophy in history. That was our mission. No matter how long it took, the only thing that mattered was lifting the trophy for the fans.
“It’s a big achievement for everyone, it’s something special and definitely the best achievement in my football career because I’m sharing it with a group of players that knows how much this means.”
A match that saw Indonesia losing a lead then having to fight back in extra-time to draw level before excelling in the spot-kicks, Herdman sees the experience as invaluable as Indonesia chart their course towards the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ in January.
“This has been a great experience for us in our preparation towards the Asian Cup, for the team to get more experience as a group even though we haven’t had the chance to get a lot of training done during this period.
“We will make full use of the next period in November and we are planning to play two matches, hopefully two big ones.”
On the other bench, disappointment shrouded the Thailand team after they showed tremendous resolve to match Indonesia despite going down to 10-man following the dismissal of Nicholas Mickelson towards the end of the second half for two bookings.
With the teams to face each other again at Saudi Arabia 2027 in Group F, head coach Anthony Hudson will look to learn from this experience.
“First of all, congratulations to Indonesia, they are moving in the right direction with a very strong squad,” said Hudson.
“There’s no fault on anyone, the players could not have done more than they have. Once we reach penalties, it’s always going to be a lottery.
“At this moment, it’s a really disappointing feeling because it’s a cruel way to lose in a competition but now we return home, rest and then start thinking about the Asian Cup.”
Photos: FIFA via Getty Images
