Determined to win the SEA Games, Indonesia calls up a series of naturalized stars

The Indonesian Football Association is putting all its effort into securing the gold medal at SEA Games 33.

Following their defeat in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Indonesian football has been plunged into crisis. Most recently, PSSI officially dismissed coach Patrick Kluivert after just over six months in charge.

In an effort to "revive" the spirit and ambition of the players as well as the nation's football, PSSI is focusing all its energy on SEA Games 33, where the Indonesia U22 team is the defending champion.

In a recent statement to the media, the chairman of the Indonesian Football Association, PSSI, emphasized:"The federation will fully support the Indonesia U22 team at this year's SEA Games, including lobbying clubs that have players currently competing in ongoing tournaments."

Accordingly, PSSI plans to persuade many naturalized players playing abroad to return for the SEA Games. This is considered a challenging task because SEA Games is not part of the FIFA Days calendar, so clubs are not obligated to release players. Nevertheless, Erick Thohir stated they will do their best:

“It's not impossible; we will try to call up the best players available if they can participate during the December break, when some leagues may not be suspended.

We have invited Adrian Wibowo, Marselino Ferdinan, Mauro Zijlstra, Ivar Jenner, and others because we want to achieve the maximum goal (gold medal in men's football at SEA Games 33). We will see how things unfold in the coming period,”the chairman of the Indonesian Football Association said.

According to CNN Indonesia, PSSI will prioritize the U23 team during the upcoming FIFA Days in November. If the Indonesian national team still lacks a head coach, PSSI will schedule the U23 team to play as part of the preparation for SEA Games 33.

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