Accelerate Naturalization Sandy Walsh And Jordi Amat, PSSI Holds Meeting With Menpora

PSSI Chairman Mochamad Iriawan (Cosmas Kopong Beda/VOI)

JAKARTA — The coach of the Indonesian national team, Shin Tae-yong, wants the naturalization process of Sandy Walsh and Jordi Amat to be accelerated. This made PSSI move to hold a coordination meeting with the Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali.

PSSI is actually working on the naturalization of four players at the request of Shin Tae-yong. However, now the Korean coach wants the government to speed up the naturalization process for the two names because they have confirmed their willingness to join the Indonesian national team.

"From the results presented by Shin Tae-yong, the two players who want to be naturalized immediately so that they can join our national team. So that later with the process assisted by the Minister of Youth and Sports, they can soon come to Indonesia," said PSSI General Chair Mochamad Iriawan at a press conference in Kemenpora office on Friday, January 10.

Besides Sandy and Jordi, two other players on PSSI's radar are Kevin Diks Bakarbessy and Mees Hilgers. However, so far only Jordi and Sandy have sent the required documents to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Menpora said that for the naturalization process this time his party was more careful. The reason is that he wants to prioritize the coaching program in accordance with Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2019 regarding the acceleration of national football development.

"I am certainly careful in carrying out this naturalization because, as I have said before, we will do naturalization if we really have to and it is a short term because what we want to build is our national football," said the Menpora.

The need for naturalization proposed by Shin Tae-yong is for the needs of the Indonesian national team to face the 2022 AFF Cup at the end of this year. Both Sandy and Jordi are considered to be able to help the Garuda squad because currently they are important players in their respective clubs.

The Minister of Youth and Sports said that in addition to Shin Tae-yong's desire to have these two players in the AFF Cup squad later, this naturalization process is also important to help the national team improve its ranking in FIFA.

"So like it or not, we have to need a strong national team and for now we still need the support of the selected naturalized players. He really is of Indonesian blood. This means that at least his grandparents are Indonesian and technically they really are. really needed," said the Minister of Youth and Sports.

Sandy Walsh is currently 26 years old and playing for Belgian League club KV Mechelen. He plays as a right-back and is a Dutch citizen.

Meanwhile, Jordi Amat on the nearest March 21 will turn 30 years old. He currently holds a Spanish passport and is a central defender at Belgian League side KAS Eupen.