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Former Canada boss John Herdman appointed Indonesia head coach

Story byFormer Canada boss John Herdman appointed Indonesia head coachAli RamplingSat, January 3, 2026 at 11:31 AM UTC·2 min readFormer Canada boss John Herdman has been appointed the new head coach of the Indonesia men’s national team. The appointment marks a return to international coaching for Herdman, 50, who has been out of management since he resigned from his position at Toronto FC in November 2024. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Englishman spent seven years as head coach of the Canada women’s national team, leading the side to a bronze medal at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He then moved across to the Canada men’s national team, guiding the team to qualification for the 2022 World Cup — the first men’s World Cup Canada had reached since 1986. The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) confirmed Herdman’s arrival on Saturday, citing his “diverse track record” as the “primary reason” for his appointment. The PSSI added his appointment marked “the beginning of a new era for national football”. His first camp with the team will be in March, as Indonesia compete in the FIFA Series in Jakarta. Herdman replaces former Barcelona and Netherlands forward Patrick Kluivert in the role, who was dismissed in October following less than a year in charge after Indonesia failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

appointed Indonesia head coach

appointed Indonesia head coach

Credit: Former Canada boss John Herdman

Key Highlights

  • Indonesia have never played at the World Cup, and reached the knockout stages of the Asian Cup for the first time in 2023, where they were eliminated in the last-16. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHerdman spent five years in charge of the New Zealand women’s national team, before being appointed by Canada in 2011.
  • His side won successive Olympic bronze medals, including eliminating hosts Great Britain in the quarter-finals of the 2012 London Games, and reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup on home soil. He made the switch to the men’s side in 2018 and led the team to their first World Cup in 36 years.
  • Canada finished bottom of their group after three defeats at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Herdman joined Major League Soccer side Toronto FC in October 2023, his first senior club head coach role, but departed after just over a year in charge with a record of 16-6-22. In March, he received a written admonishment for his involvement in the Olympic drone-spying scandal that plagued Canada’s campaign at the 2024 Paris Games. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA report commissioned by Canada Soccer and released in November 2024 said Canada’s “practice of conducting surreptitious surveillance of opponents” predated Paris.
  • The report mentioned Herdman, which led to the disciplinary committee hearing. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Toronto FC, Canada, MLS, Women's Soccer, International Football2026 The Athletic Media Company.
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Sources

  1. Former Canada boss John Herdman appointed Indonesia head coach

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

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