CNN's Indonesian version wants the Indonesian Football Federation to stop naturalizing players, to avoid devaluing local players.
Naturalization is becoming a hot topic in Indonesia, as the country's Football Association (PSSI) has just called up four more players to the national team: Jay Idzes, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Thom Haye, and Ragnar Oratmangoen.
Coach Shin Tae-yong currently has 10 naturalized players at his disposal, all of whom were born and raised abroad and do not live in Indonesia.
Coach Shin Tae-yong during Indonesia's training session in Turkey in January 2024. Photo: Kompas
Under the article "Indonesia gradually becomes a European team ahead of the match against Vietnam at Bung Karno Stadium," CNN suggested that Tjoe-A-On, Haye, and Oratmangoen were called up despite not yet being officially Indonesian citizens, as they still have to take an oath in Jakarta on March 12th. "PSSI cut through the naturalization process for these three players so they could play against Vietnam. The upcoming match is very important," the report wrote. "Can these players make Indonesia stronger and crush Vietnam? There's no guarantee, but if that doesn't happen, many people will be very angry."
The newspaper also expressed concern that the new recruits might not have enough time to adapt to Coach Shin's playing style, as well as their new teammates. In the most recent training camp, preparing for the Asian Cup in January 2024, Coach Shin also introduced three naturalized players: Justin Hubner, Shayne Pattynama, and Sandy Walsh, but they did not perform well in the friendly match against Libya, which they lost 0-4 in Turkey. "This debut for the new recruits is more risky, as it is an official match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers," the newspaper added.
PSSI and coach Shin also faced criticism from Indonesian politicians for the rapid naturalization of players. In March 2024, the South Korean coach traveled to Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands to speak with naturalized players, persuading them to play for the national team. "Mr. Shin seems to be applying the idiom 'the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.' He continues his pragmatic strategy: winning is the most important thing, everything else is irrelevant," the report commented.
The newspaper also suggested that Shin had become disillusioned with Indonesian native players. He only called up former domestic players, even those with poor form, ignoring high-performing players currently playing in the Indonesian National League. "According to Shin, debates about purebred and mixed-race players are no longer relevant in today's modern world ," the article's author stated.
Despite having 10 naturalized players, the average age of the 28 Indonesian players preparing to face Vietnam is only 24.8. They could form the core of the national team for many years to come. "The future of Indonesian football has been decided," the newspaper added. "The value of local players cannot decrease any further. If PSSI considers this a short-term plan, they must stop naturalizing players immediately."
Hoang An
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