Indonesia has appointed an English head coach for the second time in its history.

Coach John Herdman is the second English manager to take charge of the Indonesian national team.

The Indonesian national team finally has a new head coach, replacing Patrick Kluivert, who left the position vacant since October 2025.. That coach is John Herdman, a Canadian coach, officially announced as the new tactician of the Garuda team on Saturday (March 1, 2026).

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) officially announced the appointment of John Herdman as the head coach of the Indonesian national team through announcements on their website and social media. PSSI described Herdman's appointment as "marking the beginning of a new era for national football."

"PSSI warmly welcomes the arrival of the 50-year-old coach. Herdman’s diverse achievements are the main reason behind this appointment," PSSI stated on their website. "He is recognized as the only coach worldwide who has successfully led both the men’s and women’s national teams of the same country to qualify for the World Cup,"PSSI explained.

With John Herdman’s appointment as head coach of the Indonesian national team, he becomes the second Englishman to hold this position, following in the footsteps of Peter Withe.

The Indonesian national team has been led by head coaches from various countries. However, until now, only one English coach had led the Garuda team before Herdman was officially announced.

Peter Withe is an experienced coach and Aston Villa legend. He managed the Indonesian national team from 2004 to 2007. During that time, Withe was also appointed head coach of Indonesia’s U23 team.

Under Peter Withe’s leadership, the Indonesian national team delivered impressive performances, especially at the 2004 Tiger Cup, where they reached the final. Several new stars emerged, including Boaz Solossa, Saktiawan Sinaga, and Mahyadi Panggabean.