The Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir, has a desire for the Indonesian National Team to reach the World Cup and the Olympics. He offered that ambition to Indonesian heritage players living abroad.
“We are fortunate that many of our diaspora living abroad believe in this project,” said Erick Thohir, as reported by Reuters.
“We want to qualify for the World Cup.” We want to qualify for the Olympics. This is why all the players who play in Europe believe in this program,” he added.
The Indonesian national team has naturalized many players of descent, most of whom have careers in Europe. The presence of Jay Idzes and his teammates has made the Garuda Squad a new force to be reckoned with in Asia.
Almost Qualified for the 2024 Olympics
The opportunity for the Indonesian National Team to participate in the 2026 World Cup is still wide open. However, to qualify for the Olympics, they will have to try again in 2028.
The Indonesian U-23 national team almost qualified for the 2024 Olympics. Unfortunately, they had to admit defeat in the play-off round against Guinea, so that opportunity has not materialized yet.
Erick Thohir observed that players of mixed descent are very committed to being naturalized so they can represent the Indonesian national team. Family support is an important factor in solidifying their decision.
“They want to return to their roots, because this is a sentimental thing for mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa,” said Erick Thohir. According to him, this is a good program and a dream that they want to realize together.
“This is something I brought to them, a great program and a dream we want to realize,” he added.
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