Hamstring Injury Forces Marselino Ferdinand To Cancel Joining Indonesia U-23 At SEA Games 2025

Marselino Ferdinand canceled joining the U-23 Indonesian national team (VOI/Ferry Tri Adi Sasono).

JAKARTA Marselino Ferdinand certainly cannot join the Indonesian U-23 National Team (Timnas) squad for the 2025 SEA Games which took place this month in Thailand due to a hamstring injury.

The coach of the U-22 Indonesian national team, Indra Sjafri, said that the coaching team had communicated with AS Trencin, which ensured that Marselino could not be released because he was still injured.

"For this reason, we have prepared a replacement, namely Rifqi Ray Farandi from Persik Kediri, who today flew to Thailand to join," said Indra in a statement received.

The 21-year-old player is actually very excited and wants to play with Garuda Muda in the biennial multi-pronged sporting event.

However, the injury problem that was experienced made him cancel joining Ivar Jenner and friends in the White Elephant Country.

Indra said that he was still happy even without Marselino. His team can still be strengthened by Ivar and other abroad players, such as Mauro Zijlstra and Dion Markx.

"Thank you to PSSI, I-League, and foreign clubs who have helped in the formation of the U-23 Indonesian national team squad for the 2025 SEA Games," said Indra.

The U-23 Indonesian national team continues to conduct intensive exercises atung Mai, Thailand. The Garuda Muda squad focused on finalizing preparations and strategies ahead of the inaugural match against the Philippines on December 8, 2025.

Indonesia is the defending champion at the multi-branch sporting event involving these Southeast Asian countries. While in Cambodia in 2023, the Red-White Team managed to end 32 years of title drought after beating Thailand in the final.