John Herdman Eager for Bulgaria, Indonesia Aims for FIFA Series Trophy

Indonesian National Team Coach John Herdman couldn't hide his satisfaction after his team crushed St Kitts and Nevis 4-0 in the opening match of the Fifa Series. Herdman now shifts focus to the final match against Bulgaria on March 30, 2026.

Two of Indonesia's four goals were scored by Beckham Putra in the first half. The other two goals came in the second half, contributed by Ole Romeny and Mauro Zijlstra.

Herdman revealed that the initial target against St Kitts and Nevis wasn't just victory, but a convincing performance.

"We set a pre-match target to score four goals and keep a clean sheet," he stated in the post-match press conference in Jakarta on Friday, March 27, 2026.

This target was achieved. Indonesia displayed discipline, effectiveness, and growing tactical understanding despite having only a few training sessions together.

"This is our first time together with just a few training sessions. But we're extremely proud of the players tonight. Keeping a clean sheet is about discipline," he said.

Herdman also used the match against St Kitts and Nevis to rotate players. With Indonesia leading comfortably, he gave playing time to more squad members while testing the team's depth.

"We wanted to give opportunities to players who participated in training sessions. They handled the game very professionally," he added.

Tactically, Herdman highlighted two crucial elements: set-piece effectiveness and transition play. He emphasized these as fundamental in modern Football, noting Indonesia's progress in these areas.

Despite his satisfaction, Herdman tempered expectations. He acknowledged the team's journey remains long, with the true test coming in the final against Bulgaria.

"I'm pleased with tonight's elements, but this is just the beginning. The journey is still long, and we'll face a tough match against Bulgaria. We successfully rotated many players, so we look forward to Monday's Fifa Series final," he concluded.

With disciplined play, effective rotation, and sharp transitions, Indonesia enters the final with high confidence. However, as Herdman reminded, the real challenge has just begun.

Reporter: Syafira Salsa