Maarten Paes Not Afraid Against Japan: I've Faced Lionel Messi

JAKARTA - The goalkeeper for the Indonesian national team, Maarten Paes, is optimistic ahead of Japan's opponents in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification. He even joked that he was not nervous because he had played world-class players, Lionel Messi.

The Indonesian national team will face Japan on the fifth matchday of the 2026 World Cup Qualification Third Round, Friday, November 15, 2024, at the Gelora Bung Karno (SUGBK) Main Stadium, Jakarta.

For that match, the Japanese coach, Hajime Moriyasu, is sure to bring in many top players who appear in European leagues. Names, such as Wataru Endo, Takumi Minamino, Takefusa Kubo, to Hidemasa Morita who are quite shining players in Europe.

However, this situation did not dampen Maarten Paes' mentality. He did not care about the big names of Japanese players because he was used to fighting big players in Major League Soccer (MLS), including Lionel Messi.

"No, I'm not nervous. For example, I played against Messi. I'm not nervous. It's just my job, I'm still getting ready as usual," Maarten Paes said in a statement quoted Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

"I'm always nervous about the positive if I play at SUGBK because it's a special feeling. I'm just quite confident in my abilities," said the goalkeeper.

Although confident in his ability on the gridiron, Maarten Paes does not deny that facing Japan will be a tough challenge for the Indonesian national team.

"I think they (the Japanese national team) are strong opponents. Good challenges for us to show our quality against a strong team," he said.

"We have monitored the strength of the opponent, good players and good quality. This is a good opportunity for us as a country. I hope (supporters) in SUGBK will provide positive energy for us," said Paes again.