Indonesia lost to Vietnam in the final of U23 Southeast Asia 2025 - Photo: CNN Indonesia
The failure at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship right on their home field has prompted Indonesia to plan to naturalize the entire U23 team.
Because in the last tournament, the "island country" team only had naturalized striker Jens Raven. Although he scored 7 goals and won the Golden Boot, he alone was not enough to help the team win the championship.
According to CNN Indonesia , the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and the U23 coaching staff seem to be placing their faith in foreign-born talents. A list of many foreign-born players is being planned for the call-up.
Indonesia U23 will host Group J, the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, taking place from September 3 to 9. They will face top contenders South Korea, along with two lower-rated opponents Laos and Macau.
Indonesia's goal is nothing more than to win the group to get a direct ticket to the finals, or at least become one of the four best second-placed teams.
To realize this ambition, coach Gerald Vanenburg is looking for many foreign-born players to strengthen the squad.
Marselino Ferdinan (20 years old) is the only name in the sights with 100% native Indonesian blood. This midfielder is an elite product of domestic football, but his talent soon took him abroad to play, becoming one of the few Indonesian players to have a career in England.
Marselino Ferdinan is the only domestic name on the list - Photo: AFC
The player of Oxford United Club (England) is expected to be the core of the U23 Indonesia team's play in the upcoming tournament.
List of naturalized players who can play for Indonesia U23 in the 2026 AFC U23 qualifiers:
1. Justin Hubner (21 years old, center back ): Born in the Netherlands, Hubner has Indonesian descent through his grandfather and became naturalized in December 2023. He has just joined Fortuna Sittard. Since the qualifiers take place during the FIFA international schedule, Hubner is almost certain to be called up.
2. Ivar Jenner (21 years old, midfielder): Born in Utrecht, Netherlands and has Indonesian blood from his grandmother and completed his naturalization in May 2023. The player on the FC Utrecht payroll is considered a classy addition to the midfield.
3. Tim Geypens (21 years old, defender) : Born in the Netherlands, Geypens has Indonesian roots through his maternal grandfather. Geypens is a defender with a modern football mindset and is expected to bring about a breakthrough in the U23 Indonesia wing.
4. Dion Markx (20 years old, center back) : Dion has Indonesian roots from his father with an impressive height of 1.88m, he is a potential choice to strengthen the depth of the U23 Indonesia defense.
5. Welber Jardim (18 years old, defender): He is eligible to play for both Indonesia and Brazil. However, Jardim chose to dedicate himself to the "archipelago" team and was a mainstay of the U19 Indonesia team. He was trained at the prestigious Sao Paulo Academy in Brazil.
6. Mauro Zijlstra (20, forward): Zijlstra is a special case as the naturalization process is still ongoing. If successful, he will be a necessary addition to the U23 Indonesia attack.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/that-bai-tai-giai-dong-nam-a-u23-indonesia-nham-den-6-cau-thu-nhap-tich-de-dau-cup-chau-a-20250731151938999.htm
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