Maarten Paes' Fate To Defend The Indonesian National Team Is Determined This Month

Maarten Paes' trial schedule at CAS has been published (Instagram/@maartenpaes).

JAKARTA - The fate of Maarten Paes to defend the Indonesian national team has come to light. PSSI reported that the goalkeeper's case had already received a trial schedule at the Sports Arbitration Court (CAS).

Through the Secretary General of PSSI, Yunus Nusi, Maarten Paes's trial was informed that it would take place on August 15, 2024.

"On August 15, 2024, the trial will be held. On August 18, 2024, the announcement will be announced. God willing, we will try to win that," said Yunus Nusi on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

As is known, Maarten Paes has become an Indonesian citizen (WNI) on April 30, 2024. However, he has not been able to appear for the Garuda Squad because the process of transferring federations from the Netherlands (KNVB) to Indonesia (PSSI) is still hampered by FIFA regulations.

The administrative issue has not yet been resolved because FIFA found the fact that the 26-year-old goalkeeper had defended the Dutch from the U-19, U-20, and U-21 age groups in the 2016-2021 range.

FIFA regulations state that there is a certain age limit for moving the federation, which is 21 years.

The Dallas FC goalkeeper hit the FIFA Statute about the Feasibility of Playing for Team Representatives, to be precise Article 9 regarding Association Transfers.

Maarten Paes last entered the Netherlands U-21 when he was 22 years old. He was also included in the list of players brought to Euro U-21 2021 (24 March-6 June 2021).

However, the fact is that Maarten Paes was never taken down in the tournament. Therefore, PSSI appealed to CAS.

You see, in the FIFA Statute in question, the phrase 'when it was revealed' is contained. This certainly creates a gap that Maarten Paes does not violate regulations for changing associations.

"When he was fielded for his last match in any kind of official football competition for his current association, he was not yet 21 years old," reads Article 9 Paragraph 2 point B.

Now, the public is just waiting for CAS' decision on August 18, 2024. The reason is that the Indonesian-Dutch-blooded goalkeeper is projected to strengthen the Indonesian national team in the Third Round of the 2026 Asian Zone World Cup Qualification.

The Garuda squad will appear in the qualification starting in September 2024 by facing Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, and Bahrain in Group C.