Indonesia unexpectedly adopts the 'formula' that helped Vietnam's national team dominate Southeast Asia.

Indonesia draws attention by choosing an approach that once enabled Vietnam's national team to win numerous titles and establish a leading position in Southeast Asia.

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) is attracting notice as it prepares to announce a contract with coach John Herdman along with a monthly salary exceeding 1 billion VND. It’s not just about finances; more importantly, Indonesia's way of organizing the coaching model is said to be following a similar approach that brought success to Vietnam, which achieved remarkable results with Korean coaches.

According to regional experts, unlike former coach Kluivert who only focused on leading the national team, PSSI wants Herdman not only to lead the senior national team but also to take direct charge of Indonesia’s U23 team. This is a major similarity to the model that the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has applied since the era of coach Park Hang Seo and currently coach Kim Sang Sik, ensuring continuity between youth development and the national team, while shortening the player transition process.

In reality, this model has clearly brought success to Vietnamese football. Under coach Park Hang Seo, Vietnam consistently achieved results at both youth and senior levels, from the U23 Asian Championship, AFF Cup to the SEA Games. More importantly, the playing style and identity were maintained steadily over many years.

After Park Hang Seo’s tenure and the period with coach Philippe Troussier, VFF continues to place trust in Korean coach Kim Sang Sik. The series of titles such as the 2024 ASEAN Cup, 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, and notably the gold medal at SEA Games 33 in 2025 demonstrate this model’s impressive effectiveness.

Looking at Indonesia, PSSI’s decision to invest heavily and grant full technical authority to Herdman reflects an ambition for a complete overhaul. Following the shock of missing out on the 2026 World Cup qualification, Indonesian football needs a new system instead of short-term fixes like before.

However, lessons from Vietnam show that a high salary is only part of the equation. Success comes from trust, stability, and giving the coach enough time to implement his philosophy. Indonesia is currently “studying the lesson” from Vietnam, but the outcome will depend on whether they patiently commit to this model until the end.