John Herdman Calls Thom Haye's Red Card "Blessing And a Curse"
Indonesia head coach John Herdman chose to focus on the positives from Thom Haye's red card, framing the dismissal as an unexpected source of unity for his squad following the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 goalless draw against Malaysia at Gelora Bung Karno.
Indonesia were forced to play the majority of the match with ten men in their second Group A fixture after Haye was shown a red card, with VAR review confirming the midfielder had committed a reckless, high-impact tackle on Arif Aiman.
Despite the setback, Indonesia dug in defensively and successfully absorbed sustained pressure from Harimau Malaya, ensuring the scoreline remained locked at 0-0 through to the final whistle—a result that preserved a crucial point for the tournament hosts in their pursuit of the group title.
Herdman acknowledged that Haye's dismissal had disrupted his tactical planning against Malaysia to some degree, but he also credited the moment with galvanizing his squad into a unified defensive effort. Speaking to CNN Indonesia after the match, the Indonesian coach offered a philosophical take on the setback.
"Tonight, we received a red card. And for us, that red card gave these players an opportunity to build brotherhood, to learn how to fight together in a moment for their country, to keep moving forward and keep fighting," Herdman explained.
He went further, framing the dismissal not merely as misfortune but as a formative experience for his young squad. "So you can view the red card as a curse, but in some ways, it was also a gift, because it became part of our journey. We needed moments like that. We needed to know that these players came here and fought for this country," he said.
Indonesia will next face Bangladesh on October 1 in their final Group A fixture, with the tournament hosts still harboring genuine hopes of topping the group and advancing to the October 5 final. To achieve that outcome, Indonesia require victory over Bangladesh combined with Singapore defeating Malaysia in the concurrent fixture, a scenario that would overturn Malaysia's current advantage at the top of the group.
With Malaysia currently leading Group A on goal difference following their own goalless draw against Indonesia, the closing round of group matches promises to be a tense conclusion to a tightly contested pool, with both Malaysia and Indonesia's fates resting on results beyond their own control heading into the tournament's decisive weekend.
Credit Photo : Adil Nursalam/KOMPAS.com
