Kevin Diks and the art of cooling down: Singapore first, Malaysia later

On the afternoon of September 22, 2026, at the Madya Stadium area in Senayan, Jakarta, the air was still thick with the heat of football. Kevin Diks had just left the pitch, his shirt soaked in sweat, but his eyes were not tired. Reporters had been waiting for a long time. They knew this was a rare opportunity to capture the emotions of the new captain ahead of the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. The first question immediately revolved around Malaysia, the rival dubbed the eternal enemy of Indonesian football. Kevin Diks took a breath, smiled, and answered with a surprisingly short sentence: “Yes, of course. I have heard about it, but first we will face Singapore.” That moment was like a bucket of cold water thrown into a room blazing with provocative questions. Indonesian fans are accustomed to fierce declarations from captains whenever facing Malaysia. They wanted to hear confidence, even arrogance. They wanted their captain to say that Malaysia was just a small obstacle to overcome. But Kevin Diks did not do that. He chose focus. He chose discipline. And perhaps, that is exactly what Indonesian football has been lacking for many years. To understand the importance of that statement, one must look back at the context of the Indonesian national team. They have gone through turbulent AFF Cup campaigns. They have reached the final many times, but all ended in bitterness. In 2026, they lost to Malaysia. In 2026, they fell to Thailand. In 2026, they lost to Vietnam. Every time, experts pointed to the same issue: Indonesia was too passionate, too emotional, and lacked the necessary coldness in decisive moments. Therefore, Kevin Diks cooling things down from the very first training session is a deliberate signal, not a coincidence. In a regional tournament organized under FIFA, every match matters. The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is no longer an ordinary friendly competition. It carries official meaning, counts toward FIFA rankings, and features the strongest teams in Southeast Asia. For Indonesia, this tournament is a chance to assert regional supremacy while preparing for bigger goals in the future. Group A, consisting of Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, is considered one of the most unpredictable groups. There is no easy match, and any complacency can be costly. Kevin Diks understands this better than anyone. As a player at Borussia Mönchengladbach, a traditional Bundesliga club, he is used to pressure from the stands, the media, and the expectations of fans. In Europe, every match is a battle. A moment of lost concentration can turn into a conceded goal; a defeat can spark a season-long crisis. Therefore, when asked about Malaysia, Diks’ natural reaction was not to declare war, but to mention the immediate challenge: Singapore. The way Diks speaks also reflects a modern team management philosophy. In short tournaments, the team that succeeds is often not the team with the biggest stars, but the team that knows how to manage emotions and energy properly. Every coach understands that a heated derby can steal the entire team’s focus away from other matches. That is why major teams are usually careful with their words before key games, avoiding pushing the system into a state of excessive excitement. Kevin Diks, despite only recently wearing the captain’s armband, seems to have fully absorbed that philosophy. Replacing Jay Idzes is not a simple story. Jay Idzes is not only an excellent centre-back but also Indonesia’s spiritual leader throughout the qualifiers. His absence leaves a huge gap, not only in the dressing room but also in the way the team operates its playing style. But football never stops because of one individual. Kevin Diks, with his European class and excellent reading of the game, is expected to fill that void. Although he is not a vocal leader, Diks is the kind of captain who leads by action and positioning. He talks less but does more, something the young players in Indonesia badly need to learn. At 29, Diks is at the most mature stage of his career. He is no longer a young man who rushes into every hotspot with fiery enthusiasm. He has become a seasoned warrior, knowing when to speak and when to remain silent. During the training session at Madya Stadium, many witnessed Diks constantly reminding the full-backs about positioning, adjusting the space between the lines, and proactively talking to the new forwards. That is the image of a true leader, one who cares not only about himself but about the whole team. Going deeper into the group, Singapore is the first opponent and can be considered a pivotal match. Singapore may no longer be in their golden era of Southeast Asian football, but they have never been an easy team to play. Their style is based on tactical discipline, organized defending, and dangerous set pieces. In recent AFF Cups, Singapore have always found ways to annoy their opponents. If Indonesia concede first, they will face a dense defensive wall. Thus, a thorough preparation for the Singapore match is a prerequisite to confidently enter the derby against Malaysia later. As for Malaysia, this is always a special opponent for Indonesia. The match between the two teams is not just a battle on the pitch; it is about national pride, a story repeated in every coffee shop from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has a generation of players with good speed and technique. They play with high determination and do not shy away from physical duels. But the heat of the derby can be a double-edged sword. If Indonesia can exploit Malaysia’s mentality, if they make their opponents impatient, they can turn the match into a favorable game for themselves. This has been proven many times in the history of this rivalry. Bangladesh, considered the weakest team in the group, cannot be underestimated either. Bangladeshi football has made remarkable progress in recent years. They do not have big stars, but they have a cohesive team spirit and relentless fighting mentality. Many Asian giants have fallen to underdogs like Bangladesh. If Indonesia enter that match with a complacent mindset, they could put themselves in trouble. Kevin Diks’ words about taking it one match at a time is a warning to his teammates: do not think beyond what is in front of you. Indonesian media are paying a lot of attention to the national team. Every training session attracts dozens of journalists, and every player statement is analyzed from many angles. This creates an invisible but enormous pressure. Kevin Diks once said that pressure is an inseparable part of football. He has played in many top-European matches where even a draw can be criticized all week. Therefore, he learned to turn pressure into motivation instead of letting it crush him. In the short press conference after training, when asked about being chosen as captain, Kevin Diks did not hide his pride. He called it a great honor but also a heavy responsibility. He understands that the captain’s armband is not merely a title, but also the expectation of millions of fans. The absence of Jay Idzes multiplied the responsibility on him and his teammates. Instead of flinching, he chose to embrace the challenge. He believes that if everyone looks in the same direction, nothing is impossible. Newcomers Mitchell Baker and Luke Vickery will experience the atmosphere of the national team for the first time. These two forwards are expected to strengthen Indonesia’s attack, which has been seen as a major weakness over the years. Indonesian football has often relied too much on long balls and counter-attacks. The emergence of players with technique and finishing ability can help Indonesia diversify their game. The remaining issue is time to build chemistry with the surrounding midfielders. This requires patience and a good training environment. Kevin Diks, as captain, will surely be an important bridge to help newcomers adapt quickly. I remember once sitting in a small beer bar in Ho Chi Minh City watching an Indonesian match. The beer bar taught me how to read the game, while the lineup only distracted me. People debated about this star and that star, but the match was ultimately decided by a set-piece defensive situation. When a Southeast Asian team progresses, they do not necessarily need expensive superstars; they usually become a well-run collective. Indonesia now has a good generation of players, but the most important thing is finding a winning formula. Kevin Diks’ statement is part of that formula: simplify everything and focus on each step. The beer was not drunk, the bet was not placed, but I had already seen which team would shoot their own foot if they approached the match with too hot a head. The history of AFF Cups is full of examples of stronger teams being eliminated because they underestimated their opponents or let emotions take over. In 2026, Indonesia were one of the most exciting teams in the region, but they still fell to Thailand in the final because they were not calm enough. In 2026, they reached the final with impressive form, but lost to a Vietnamese team that knew how to control the tempo of the match. That lesson remains valid. Actually, Kevin Diks’ caution could be misinterpreted as a lack of confidence. Many might say that a captain should show strength and boast about crushing every opponent. But in modern football, true confidence comes from careful preparation, from knowing where you are strong and where you are weak. Kevin Diks does not need to make a great war declaration. He only needs to stand firm on the pitch, command a solid defense, and launch proper attacking rhythms. That is how someone who has played at a high level speaks. What you do matters more than what you say. And Diks is proving that with action. Another notable point in Kevin Diks’ statement is the line: “We know what we have to do. We have a mission and we are clear about our mindset, focus, and goals. So everything is clear. There is no doubt at all.” This shows that the Indonesian team’s camp is very united. They are not distracted by outside talk. They know their goal and they will pursue it until the end. This is especially important in a tournament where only one team wins. Clarity of purpose helps a team get through difficult times: when the score is not in their favor, when the referee makes controversial decisions, when the stadium creates pressure. The stadium was empty, but I have never run out of audience. For Kevin Diks, the fans may not appear at every training session, but they always exist through expectations and love for the team. That pressure is unavoidable. But at a certain level, pressure is what separates an ordinary team from an exceptional one. Kevin Diks has faced the pressure of Bundesliga matches, where the smallest mistake is blown out of proportion. He has overcome all of that to become one of the most reliable centre-backs. Therefore, he has enough courage to lead Indonesia through the group stage and beyond. The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is approaching. Indonesian fans are waiting for a miracle similar to those produced at the SEA Games or AFF Cup. But perhaps the most important thing is not a shock result, but a stable performance, knowing oneself and one’s opponent. Kevin Diks, with the captain’s armband, will almost certainly be the one laying the foundation for that journey. He does not talk much about victory. He talks about focus. And in a short tournament, that is the most terrifying declaration. Just imagine if Indonesia successively beat Singapore, Malaysia, and Bangladesh to enter the knockout stage with a steel mentality, not because they have a superior squad, but because they know how to control the match and their own emotions. Could that be the answer to the question why Indonesian football often fails to deliver? Perhaps. And Kevin Diks is beginning to write a new chapter, where the coldness of a European captain combines with the passion of Southeast Asian football to create a new force. Of course, football always harbors surprises. Nobody can be sure about the outcome of a match until the final whistle. But one thing is certain: Indonesia is on the right track by putting their trust in Kevin Diks. His appointment as captain to replace Jay Idzes is not just a personnel replacement, but also a change in leadership philosophy. If it succeeds, this will be a stepping stone for Indonesian football to develop sustainably in the future. For now, the fans only need to wait and see whether a calming statement can turn into a thriving campaign.