“I’ve been blown away by the hospitality of the Indonesian people,” said Herdman. “People had mentioned it, but I’ve experienced it now. And the intensity of the fans. This is a proper football country, so if we can harness that intensity then we’ve got a chance.”

 

The 50-year-old was appointed in the aftermath of Indonesia’s elimination from the fourth round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26, which saw Kluivert leave the role by mutual consent.

 

Despite the Dutchman’s departure, that performance was the country’s best in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup and Herdman will also be attempting to build on the nation’s run to the last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ under Shin Tae-yong.

That was also a landmark achievement for the Indonesians, but Herdman is determined to push the boundaries even further for his new employers.

 

“(I want) to be first, to pioneer and to usher Indonesia into a new era, that’s what stands in front of this group of men and myself as a coach and the organisation and the fan group. To be that group that took that step. That’s all the motivation we need,” he said.

 

“I had a moment in Canada where we qualified our country for the World Cup for the first time in 36 years and to have 33 million people stand together. To have 280 million do that? That would be something else.

 

“That’s why I do it, for those moments. You can’t buy them. It’s not money, it’s not fame or fortune, it’s those memories and we’re going to create them.”

Expectations have increased as the Indonesians have tapped into the country’s diaspora to bolster their squad with Europe-based players such as Jay Idzes and Kevin Diks, and Herdman believes the team is moving in the right direction.

 

“It’s starting in a place where, it’s in a good place,” he said. “I’m sure the fans wanted to be at the World Cup in 2026 but you have to suffer, you have to feel it. This was a new group of players, Indonesian players trying to come together and connect in a short period of time.

 

“The talent’s there but often that talent takes time to come together, to really feel what you feel. Those defeats are what create the foundation for the future.

 

“That group of men, we have no excuses now. We’ve suffered together, the talent’s there and we have the opportunity to take this country to the next level.”

Herdman’s first matches at the helm will come during March’s FIFA Series in Jakarta, which will serve as a build-up to the team’s participation in the ASEAN Championship in July and August and next January’s AFC Asian Cup.

“That pressure is an absolute privilege for the players, it’s a curse as well if we want to view it like that,” Herdman said. “But the mentality we're building is a pioneering mindset.

 

“We haven’t qualified for the World Cup, we haven’t won an Asian Cup, we haven’t won an ASEAN Championship. We have a chance to do all of those things. That’s the mindset. That’s the privilege.”