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Head coach of the Indonesian national football team, John Herdman, has unveiled the secret behind how he and his staff maintain the sharpness of the country’s overseas players, even after grueling journeys of up to 20 hours to join the squad.

John Herdman is introducing a groundbreaking approach to managing Indonesia’s Garuda players who ply their trade abroad. Aware of the geographical challenges that require players to travel long distances, especially from Europe, he has implemented a performance recovery system he calls the Formula 1 or F1 Pit Stop method.

The Indonesian national team is set to play two friendly matches during the FIFA Matchday in June 2026.

The Garuda squad will face Oman and Mozambique at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on 5 and 9 May 2026.

For these fixtures, John Herdman has summoned the best talents available to the national side.

This includes players who play abroad such as Kevin Diks (France), Emil Audero (Italy), Ole Romeny (England), and Maarten Paes (Netherlands).

The English coach has set himself an ambitious mission with Indonesia’s national team.

He aims to lead the Garuda squad to qualify for the 2030 World Cup, meaning his preparations go well beyond tactical planning.

According to Herdman, one of the keys to achieving Indonesia’s dream of reaching the 2030 World Cup lies in the ability to manage players competing in top international leagues.

He acknowledges that bringing in players from various parts of the world poses a physical challenge for athletes.

To tackle this, Herdman has brought in assistant coach Cesar Meylan.

Meylan is an elite figure in physical training and sports performance.

His role is to ensure the players’ physical fitness, strength, and endurance remain at the highest level.

Cesar Meylan has worked alongside Herdman for over a decade at the highest tiers of international football.

He has been instrumental in the success of elite teams such as the Canadian national team and Toronto FC, applying a modern scientific, data-driven, and medically integrated approach.

Bringing a wealth of experience and holding a PhD, Meylan joins Indonesia’s national setup with a strong background in sports science and performance management.

Herdman explained that Meylan’s involvement with the Indonesian national team is part of a carefully planned strategy to keep players performing at their peak despite long travel distances.

“Dr. Meylan brings a wealth of experience from Canada, where we had to bring players over from Europe to play in Canada, involving travel times of 10, 12, 15, even 20 hours — similar to what we face here in Indonesia,” Herdman said, as quoted from the official YouTube channel of the Indonesian national team on Sunday (31 May 2026).

The 50-year-old coach likened the arrival of overseas players in Indonesia to Formula 1 race cars entering the pit stop zone.

In Formula 1, a pit stop is when a race car temporarily halts during a race for refueling, tire changes, or mechanical adjustments — all performed at lightning speed to get the car back on track as soon as possible.

Applying the same principle, Herdman emphasized that every minute after players arrive must be used efficiently.

“I think that’s part of our development process. We call it an F1 Pit Stop,” said Herdman.

Interestingly, the preparation for this ‘Pit Stop’ begins even before the players land in Indonesia.

The medical and sports science teams, led by Dr. Meylan, start working while the players are still in transit, based on their experience handling European-based athletes for Canada’s national team.

“So, when players arrive in Indonesia, much of the preparation has already been completed even before they land,” Herdman explained.

“It’s like a car pulling into the pit stop — everyone is ready to provide exactly what’s needed to get the car performing again,” he added.

This strategy, Herdman noted, is crucial because Indonesia cannot yet match Japan in terms of investment or the sheer depth of footballing talent.

However, he believes Indonesia can outperform Japan in specific areas, particularly in efficiency and sports science management.

Herdman’s long-term goal is to make Indonesia one of Asia’s top footballing nations, with Japan being one of the main benchmarks to surpass.

Although Japan remains one of the continent’s strongest teams, Herdman refuses to back down and remains determined to keep improving Indonesia’s national team.

Therefore, his primary focus is on ensuring that players are physically and mentally prepared for the challenges ahead.

Considering the long distances players travel each time they represent the Garuda, Herdman and his staff have put in place the F1 Pit Stop system to maintain top-level performance.

With this approach, the English tactician is confident his players will remain in peak condition and perform brilliantly during matches.

Drawing on his experience with Canada, Herdman believes Indonesia can excel in specific areas despite limitations.

“We’ve got experience in that regard. We can be the best in the AFC in certain areas. We’ve made it clear that we want to be the best in specific aspects,” Herdman said.

“We can’t beat Japan in certain areas — their talent pool, their investment — but we can surpass them in others. We did that against the USA and Mexico, and we can do it again here with Indonesia,” he added.

As a reminder, John Herdman will lead the Indonesian national team’s training sessions starting 1 June, in preparation for the FIFA Matchday fixtures against Oman and Mozambique.

Several overseas players such as Emil Audero, Kevin Diks, and Ragnar Oratmangoen have already arrived in Indonesia and will begin preparations for the opening match against Oman.