JAKARTA - Elkan Baggott was not included in the list of 22 players who Shin Tae-yong called to the Indonesian national team. PSSI responded to the loss of the player's name ahead of the 2026 World Cup Qualification.
The summons of 22 players to the Indonesian national team itself cannot be separated from the agenda that will be carried out by the Garuda Squad. In the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification, Shin Tae-yong's team will face Iraq (June 6, 2024) followed by the Philippines (June 11, 2024).
Of all the names that Shin Tae-yong called to strengthen the team in the match at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, Elkan Baggott was not on the list.
This situation then became the spotlight of fans of the Indonesian national team to netizens in the country. They assessed that the 21-year-old defender was not included in the list because he did not give a response during a summons to the U-23 Indonesian national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics Qualification playoffs.
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Related to this, PSSI through Sumardji as the Manager of the Indonesian National Team gave his views. He was reluctant to comment on Elkan's rumors, but explained that the summons of the players was in accordance with the needs of the team.
"I will not comment on that," Sumardji said in a statement quoted on Friday, May 17, 2024.
"So, the question of why, some names that are not called, yes, because they adjust the needs of the team in each position," he said.
It's not just Elkan Baggott who was not called by Shin Tae-yong to the Garuda Squad on this agenda.
There are also several names of mainstay players who are not included by the South Korean coach. They are Witan Sulaeman, Ramadhan Sananta, Hokky Caraka, Marc Klok, Edo Febriansyah, Wahyu Prasetyo, and many more.
Shin Tae-yong is indeed looking for players as needed considering that the two matches in the second round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification are a crucial match for the Indonesian national team.
Currently, the Garuda Squad only needs one win to win the opportunity to advance to the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers which will at the same time automatically qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
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