Naturalization: A Quick Fix for Indonesian Football?

The relentless attacks by the Australian National Team did not shake Maarten Paes, the Indonesian National Team's goalkeeper, during the third-round Group C match of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone at Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, on Tuesday (10/9/2024).

The FC Dallas goalkeeper successfully blocked a shot on target from Harry Souttar after he received a smooth pass from Jackson Irvine. Paes also parried a shot from Craig Goodwin.

Even in critical moments, luck seemed to favor Paes. A dangerous situation arose when he couldn’t stop a shot from Nestory Irankunda. Fortunately, the ball hit the goalpost and bounced back into play.

In Indonesia’s last two matches, the naturalized Indonesian goalkeeper emerged as the man of the match, successfully guarding the Garuda’s goal. All of sudden Indonesian national media are calling him a Impenetrable Wall

Paes is among the foreign players naturalized by PSSI to join the Indonesian National Team. The news of Paes joining the Indonesian National Team was announced by PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir on Monday (18/8/2024).

“Good news for Indonesian football. Today, PSSI informs that after a long and extensive process, Maarten Paes has finally been registered and can now officially play for the Indonesian National Team,” wrote Erick on his Instagram.

Quoting Antara, under South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong, the naturalization program for Indonesian-descendant footballers playing abroad has been intensively carried out over the past five years.

So far, 16 naturalized players have joined the Garuda squad. They are Jordi Amat, Marc Klok, Shayne Pattynama, Sandy Walsh, Rafael Struick, Ivar Jenner, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Justin Hubner, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Thom Haye, Jens Raven, Jay Idzes, Calvin Verdonk, Maarten Paes, Eliano Reijnders, and Mees Hilgers.

UMS football club captain Aji Tri Mulya has observed that the quality of play in Indonesia's national football team is showing significant positive progress, both in terms of tactics and physicality. The players have appeared more aggressive and organized in recent matches. 

The naturalization program has successfully elevated Indonesia to 129th in the FIFA rankings as of September 1, 2024. These foreign players come from more competitive leagues, so it's no surprise that they bring high-quality gameplay to the national team. However, Aji didn't neglect the proper proportion between local and naturalized players. “This is to ensure that the regeneration of local players continues smoothly and that we do not become entirely dependent on naturalized players," he said on Wednesday (2/10/2024)

The presence of naturalized players has sparked criticism from various groups. This controversy arose when the public began questioning the proportion of local players in the Garuda compared to naturalized players.

Harsh comments came from academic and political observer Rocky Gerung, who lamented the lack of local talent in the national team due to the naturalization project. This was evident from the number of local players in the match against Australia a few weeks ago. Rocky argued that naturalization serves as a justification that halts the development of young athletes.

“Even though we often lose, there are efforts for improvement through player development and up-to-date curriculum, right?” Rocky said on his official YouTube channel on Monday (30/9/2024). “We need to revive football as a source of national pride, not through naturalization.”

Aji Tri Mulya acknowledged the criticisms regarding naturalization, understanding that some may worry it could hinder the development of local talent. However, he viewed naturalization as a strategic move to accelerate the national team's quality improvement. 

“The solution is to strike a balance. Naturalization can continue, but it must be accompanied by a strong focus on nurturing local players, especially from a young age, so that Indonesia retains a solid foundation of homegrown talent,” Aji explained.

When asked about the criticism, Surakarta PSSI Secretary Deputy General, Pungki Indarto, S.Pd., M.Or., responded calmly. He described naturalization as both a pilot project and a short-term strategy to enhance national football. Improvements at the national team level are hoped to set an example for leagues, clubs, and youth development programs.

Pungki further emphasized that Indonesia’s success in naturalization reflects the country’s growing appeal. Factors such as high public enthusiasm for football, improvements in the association's structure and performance, and the influence of Erick Thohir and coach Shin Tae-yong's management have boosted Indonesia’s bargaining power. “There’s a sense of pride among foreign players representing our national team,” said Pungki on Thursday (26/9/2024). .

However, he emphasized the importance of proper procedures in the naturalization process. These steps include document preparation, interviews with the National Intelligence Agency, health tests, and the oath of allegiance to Indonesian citizenship.

Naturalization, he said, should not be seen as a taboo. In other countries, naturalization is a common practice aimed at developing the sports industry. According to Pungki, it is done not only for strengthening physical capabilities but also for player discipline. This refers to Shin Tae-yong's evaluation, which highlighted the lack of discipline among Indonesian players.

It must be acknowledged that Indonesian football still faces several issues, ranging from player development to a league system that is seen as less than optimal. The naturalization process has been taken as a pragmatic step to achieve short-term success. For Pungki, this is acceptable to spur improvements in the overall governance of football. Current reforms in football are being carried out from the top down, gradually reaching the grassroots level.

Pungki does not deny that naturalized players possess certain advantages compared to local players, such as physical attributes, affective skills, stamina and strength, and intelligence. However, the naturalization program must be supported by a Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) framework and the widespread implementation of sports sciences. This will drive the growth of Indonesia's sports industry in the future.

LTAD requires PSSI to integrate several areas, starting with coaching management, medical teams consisting of doctors and physiotherapists, to nutrition experts. This includes measuring players' physical posture, organ function, diet plans, and match analysis, all of which are integral parts of LTAD.

In addition, the development system for football athletes must be tiered. Training materials should not be concentrated too much at an early age. The intensity of the training must be adjusted to the age of the players to ensure they reach their best performance at the right time. “The peak performance is around the age of 23 to 25,” explained the Sport Education lecturer from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta.

With comprehensive improvements from the highest to the lowest levels, Pungki is optimistic that Indonesian football will develop better soon. A healthy football environment will also promote the growth of the sports industry in society.

Pungki mentioned that regenerating players to produce top football talents requires at least five years for the first phase. Meanwhile, the long-term program through LTAD requires a minimum of 15 years.

Despite the long journey ahead, Pungki remains optimistic about the future of the national team. He believes it is never too late to improve the Indonesian National Team. “Rather than not executing it at all, it's better to start now,” he concluded.

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid