Playing At Tokyo Verdy Club: Achievement Is More Important For Pratama Arhan, Not Just Being Famous On Social Media

Welcoming Pratama Arhan's arrival at Tokyo Verdy. (Photo: verdy.co.jp)

JAKARTA - After officially joining the J2 League club, Tokyo Verdy, the presence of Pratama Arhan at the Japanese club had a significant impact on the number of followers on the club's Instagram. Not only that, the new followers, the majority of whom are Indonesians, also often interact with other Tokyo Verdy players through the comments column.

One of the Tokyo Verdy players who felt the impact was Junki Koike. The midfielder admitted that he had been greeted by many Indonesian netizens since Arhan's presence at the club.

Pratama Arhan's appearance with the Indonesian national team in the 2022 AFF Cup captivated Tokyo Verdy. (Photo: Twitter@pssi)

Although he welcomed this, Koike also admitted that he was confused about having to reply to the netizen's comments in Indonesian or English. The confusion was revealed by Koike by uploading it on his personal Twitter account.

"I get a lot of comments from Indonesians on Instagram, but should I enter sentences in Indonesian or English?" wrote Koike.

"I'm worried about replying, I don't know if the translation is correct when I use the translation," continued the midfielder.

Fourth Indonesian Footballer in the Japanese League

Arhan is the third footballer from Indonesia to play for a Japanese professional club. The first player to graze in the Land of Sakura was the late Ricky Yacob. In 1988 Ricky was signed to Matsushita FC Osaka club, which is currently called Gamba Osaka, and plays in the J1 League.

Ricky's gait did not last long there. He only had four times to play for Matsushita by scoring one goal, before finally being sent back to Indonesia. Ricky's reason at that time was that it was difficult to adjust to the weather conditions in Japan. Ricky died on November 21, 2020, at the age of 57, due to a heart attack while playing football at the ABC Senayan field, Jakarta.

Ajinomoto Stadium, the headquarters of the Tokyo Verdy team, will be strengthened by Pratama Arhan. (Photo: Wikipedia)

The next adventure of Indonesian players in the Japanese League occurred in 2014, when Irfan Bachdim was brought in by J1 League club Ventforet Kofu. But Irfan failed to show his best game, and more often languished as a backup. The footballer who was previously a Dutch citizen in 2015 then joined Consadole Sapporo, which is a member club of the J2 League.

Having played well in Sapporo by playing 95 times and scoring 12 goals, Irfan's good fortune did not continue the following year. In 2016 he was mostly benched, and only played twice before finally returning to Indonesia.

Indonesian player Stefano Lilipaly also played at Consadole Sapporo in 2014, but his progress failed. The attacking midfielder, who before becoming an Indonesian citizen, was a Dutch citizen, only spent a year in Japan, and in 2015 left the Netherlands to play for the Telstar club. Stefano now plays for Bali United in Liga 1.

Should be better

As a young footballer today, Arhan who is still 20 years old should be better than Ricky, Irfan, and Stefano. Physical fitness and good games, supported by popularity on social media are provisions that Arhan should use to the fullest.

Don't let Arhan just make a fuss on social media, but on the field, he actually sinks. Differences in culture, weather, food, are obstacles that Arhan goes through. If he is able to overcome all the obstacles, his name will surely stir up the world of social media. But if he fails to shine, don't be surprised if he gets ridiculed.

Need to have a mentor

Arhan may have to establish closeness with Koike, as a native Japanese player who enthusiastically welcomes his arrival at Tokyo Verdy. Even Arhan could ask Koike to be a mentor.

Koike himself is a Tokyo Verdy player who enthusiastically welcomed Arhan's arrival. As a versatile senior midfielder, he is flattered by the support that has emerged from the Indonesian public for him and his club.

Therefore, Koike is determined to give his best to the club in return for supporters. He also wants to continue working with Arhan and doesn't forget to say thank you.

Junki Koike, Tokyo Verdy's midfielder enthusiastically welcomed Pratama Arhan's arrival at the club. (Photo: Twitter@koikejunki7)

“I received a lot of messages from Indonesia. Arhan is loved. I will do my best together when he (Arhan) comes to Japan. Thank you for your support!" Koike continued.

Despite the midfielder's response, Koike is one of the seniors at the club who is expected to set an example for young players like Arhan. With experience defending several top Japanese League clubs such as Urawa Reds, Yokohama FC, and JEF United Chiba, Keiko deserves to be a mecca for young players.

During his uniform with Tokyo Verdy, Koike himself has appeared in 185 matches in all competitions with a contribution of 48 goals and 24 assists. He has defended the Japanese capital club since the 2018/2019 season. He has also been in Verdy's uniform for one year in 2011-2012.

Meanwhile, Arhan's presence made Tokyo Verdy the first Japanese club to pass the 300 thousand followers mark on Instagram. That number surpassed Vissel Kobe's followers as the club with the most followers in Japan. Before Pratama Arhan came, Tokyo Verdy's Instagram account only had 43,000 followers.