As usual, the Indonesian national team's lineup at this time is full of naturalized players. 17/32 names called up by coach Patrick Kluivert for the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup were born outside the archipelago.
In particular, in defense, the Dutch coach used 9 naturalized players, while only 4 were domestic players.
The Indonesian team still has a chance to qualify for the World Cup (Photo: AFC).
This has led to continued criticism from the Indonesian media and football public opinion because the squad has too few players trained domestically. However, coach Patrick Kluivert and the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) are determined to take an "all-in gamble" to secure a ticket to the World Cup finals.
Indonesia will have a crucial match with the Chinese team on June 5, at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Jakarta, Indonesia). This match will determine the ticket to the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.
Indonesia currently has 9 points, while the Chinese team has 6 points. If Indonesia wins against the team from the billion-people country, they are almost certain to enter the 4th qualifying round. On the contrary, if Indonesia loses to the Chinese team, they may lose the chance to continue.
Teams that make it to the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia will continue to compete for tickets to the World Cup finals next year. Meanwhile, teams that are eliminated after the current stage will end their World Cup dreams.
In the first leg against the Chinese team last October, Indonesia lost 1-2 on the opponent's field.
Immediately after the Indonesian team announced the list, CNN Indonesia reported: "The list of players participating in the World Cup qualifiers of the Indonesian team is currently causing a lot of controversy. Netizens reacted strongly to this list."
"People wonder why center back Elkan Baggott was not called up to this squad. In addition, another name mentioned is Stefano Lilipaly. Public opinion believes that this player still deserves to wear the Indonesian national team jersey," CNN Indonesia added.
List of 32 Indonesian players
Goalkeepers: Maarten Paes, Emil Audero Mulyadi, Nadeo Argawinata, Ernando Ari Sutaryadi, Reza Arya Pratama.
Defenders: Rizki Ridho, Jordi Amat, Mees Hilgers, Justin Hubner, Jay Idzes, Sandy Walsh, Kevin Diks, Asnawi Mangkualam, Pratama Arhan, Shayne Pattynama, Calvin Verdonk, Dean James.
Midfielders: Ivar Jenner, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Ricky Kambuaya, Eliandro Reijnders, Marselino Ferdinand, Thom Haye, Egy Maulana Vikri, Joey Palupessy, Yakob Sayuri, Yance Sayuri.
Forwards: Ole Romeny, Rafael Struick, Ramadhan Sananta, Stefano Lilipaly, Septian Bagaskara.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/doi-tuyen-indonesia-cong-bo-danh-sach-canh-bac-tat-tay-cho-world-cup-20250518170937925.htm
Comment (0)