AFF U-23 Cup Not Included In The FIFA Calendar, Can Indonesia Return To Using Elkan Baggott's Services?

PSSI Chairman Mochamad Iriawan and Elkan Baggott (Instagram @mochamadiriawan84)

JAKARTA - PSSI General Chair, Mochamad Iriawan wants to return to using the services of Elkan Baggott in the U-23 AFF Cup. However, the competition which will take place on February 14-26 is not included in the FIFA calendar.

Baggott became a reliable player for the Garuda squad when they competed in the 2020 AFF Cup. However, Iriawan's desire to include Baggott in the U-23 national team has not been realized.

After competing in Singapore, the player immediately returned to his club in England. That way, Iriawan had to re-communicate with Ipswich Town to be able to bring him to the national team.

"Players (Elkan Baggott) will first return to their clubs abroad. This must require intense communication so that we can borrow them again. Hopefully, it can be done", said Mochamad Iriawan, quoted from PSSI's official website.

Furthermore, Iriawan said he had communicated with Shin Tae-yong regarding the list of players who would be brought to the AFF U-23 Cup. With a short time lag, Shin Tae-yong as the national team coach is required to be able to prepare the squad as well as possible, including the option of foreign players from the 2020 AFF Cup squad who will be brought to the AFF U-23 Cup.

"I asked Shin Tae-yong for the list of players and he said they were there for the U-23 national team. While they are quarantined, we can have meetings and discuss zoom", he said.

"Time is quite urgent. So Shin Tae-yong also has to prepare which players will be called", continued the PSSI Chairman.

But even so, Shin Tae-yong himself could not confirm whether players who played abroad such as Baggott and Egy Maulana Vikri could join.

The AFF U-23 Cup itself will be held on February 14-26 in Cambodia. In this competition, the U-23 national team is in Group B with Cambodia, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

The PSSI chairman's plan to call Baggott and Egy is likely to find a steep path. Because it is known that the 2022 AFF U-23 Cup is not included in the FIFA calendar, which makes it is difficult for each club to let go of the player.