Gali Freitas Not Called To Timor Leste U-20 National Team Ahead Of Indonesia U-20

Gali Freitas tidak masuk Timnas Timor Leste U-20 di Kualifikasi Piala Asia U-20 2025 (Instagram/@galifreitas21).

JAKARTA - The coach of the Timor Leste U-20 national team, Eliap Krishnan Ramasamy, chose not to bring in the Indonesian League 1 player, Gali Freitas, in the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup Qualification.

Currently, Galih Freitas is part of the Indonesian League 1 club, PSIS Semarang. With his status as a professional player, the coach feels that the club will find it difficult to release the player even though he is still eligible to appear.

"He (Galih Freitas) is a professional player. So, I don't think the club will release him (PSIS Semarang)," said Elisa Krishnan Ramasamy during a press conference ahead of the match at the Madya Stadium, Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

Regarding players who were not brought in, it turned out that it was not just Gali Freitas. The coach said that there were also several other names that did not get permission from the club.

However, my heart doesn't want to make it a big problem. As a coach, he tries to accept and appreciate the club's decision.

"So, we have to accept that. There are also players who play in other clubs, but they are not released," said the coach.

Furthermore, my brother said Timor Leste would still look at the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup Qualification with optimism. Regarding the squad that was brought in, he said he would not field naturalized players, but brought one player of descent.

"We don't have naturalized players, but there are foreign descendants. There is one player who is our father from Timor Leste, but lives in Australia. He asked his son to play in Timor Leste and we gave him that opportunity," he said.

Timor Leste will start their struggle in the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Yemen U-20 on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 15.00 WIB.

After that they will face the host, Indonesia U-20, on Friday, September 27, 2024, and close the match with a duel against the U-20 Maldives on Sunday, September 29, 2024.