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Egy Maulana Vikri (right) remains confident that the Indonesian national football team can achieve the best results at the 2026 AFF Cup.

Dewa United player Egy Maulana Vikri has expressed his optimism that John Herdman can guide Indonesia to victory at the 2026 AFF Cup.

Herdman has been highly selective in choosing players who will compete in the tournament, which is now officially known as the ASEAN Cup.

The coach has already conducted a specialised training camp to closely assess players who could potentially make it into the final squad.

Egy is among the 23 players who were directly observed by the Garuda squad’s head coach between May 26 and May 30.

This clearly signals that Herdman is serious about his mission and holds ambitious goals for the upcoming tournament.

The coaching staff still have time to finalise the best squad composition that will represent Indonesia in the AFF Cup.

Egy noted that the intense competition within the national team is a positive sign for Indonesian football.

According to him, such competition pushes every player to deliver their best performances.

He admitted that earning a place in the national team is not an easy task these days.

“It’s not a problem. The tougher the competition, the better it is for Indonesia,” he said.

“Whoever the players are, regardless of where they come from, having such tight competition is really good,” added Egy Maulana Vikri, as quoted from Antara via BolaSport.com.

The 25-year-old player understands that there are now many quality players who can catch the coach’s attention.

This gives Herdman a variety of options when deciding on his lineup.

Moreover, the fierce competition in the 2025/2026 Super League has tested players’ abilities and raised the overall standard of play.

For the national team, this is a positive development, as it allows players to showcase their best potential.

“It’s better to give the coach a headache when choosing who deserves to play because that means Indonesia is improving,” Egy remarked.

In addition, Egy hopes that the national team can achieve great success in the upcoming AFF Cup.

After a long wait, Indonesia is eager to secure a championship title to demonstrate its progress.

He believes Herdman has what it takes to lead the team to positive results at the 2027 Asian Cup and even qualify for the 2030 World Cup.

“Hopefully, we can finally become champions,” he said.

“May we qualify for the World Cup and continue to progress smoothly across Asia,” he concluded.