Before even making his debut, the new head coach of the Indonesian national team faces a major challenge

John Herdman, the new head coach of Indonesia’s national team, has not yet had his first official match but is already dealing with a complex squad problem.

According to Bola Sport, the Indonesian team will definitely be without the services of two key players, Thom Haye and Shayne Pattynama, for the upcoming period, right as Coach John Herdman is about to begin his new role with the national team. Both Thom Haye and Shayne Pattynama have been suspended for four matches by FIFA due to their strong protests against referee Ma Ning (China) after a previous game.

The incident occurred during the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers when Indonesia faced Iraq. In that match, the Indonesian side lost 0-1, a result that officially ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. After the final whistle, the two players reacted aggressively towards the main referee, which led to severe sanctions from FIFA.

In addition to being banned from playing, Thom Haye and Shayne Pattynama were each fined 5,000 Swiss francs (approximately 105.2 million VND), bringing the total fine burden on the Indonesian team to 210.4 million VND. Losing two key players simultaneously clearly presents a tough challenge for Coach John Herdman, especially as he needs to quickly stabilize the squad and playing style of the Indonesian team.

According to plans, the next tournament Indonesia will participate in is the FIFA Series, where Coach John Herdman is expected to make his debut and leave his first mark as the new head coach of the Indonesian national team. However, with Thom Haye and Shayne Pattynama absent due to suspension, the Canadian strategist will certainly need to rethink his squad options right from the start of his tenure.

In official statements on PSSI’s website, the federation has not detailed the new coaching staff, including assistant coaches. Previously, PSSI emphasized that the new head coach must be supported by assistants from domestic personnel to combine international experience with local knowledge during the team-building process.