New Faces Appear In The U-22 Indonesian National Team Squad

The U-22 Indonesian National Team's training atmosphere for the 2023 SEA Games. (Photo: Ulfa Gusti Utami/VOI)

JAKARTA - The U-22 Indonesian national team coach, Indra Sjafri, has appointed 34 names of players to participate in the training camp (TC) ahead of the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. In this first stage of TC, the coach displays new faces.

Indra Sjafri has his own reasons. He said this policy was deliberately carried out to see potential players.

Moreover, the players who are mostly called up from League 1 and League 2 clubs are players who don't get regular time in their teams. "We decided to call players who don't play regularly in League 1. So we let those who play regularly first play in their respective clubs," said Indra when met at Field A Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Thursday, March 2 afternoon.

Furthermore, the coach from West Sumatra revealed that although he was appointed based on the lack of regular time in the team, each player had the same opportunity to compete.

Because the player assessment stage will be monitored during the first stage of TC through training and three internal games. Furthermore, there will be a second stage TC call for the national team on March 8-16, 2023.

"The method is through training and three internal games before we decide on which of these 34 we will recruit, which we will combine with players who play regularly in League 1," continued Indra Sjafri.

Regarding the same equal opportunity for each player to enter the main squad, Indra Sjafri said the opportunity was wide open because he did not use the relegation or promotional system, but saw the team's needs.

"All that (the opportunity) depends on the players, we don't target five or six players to continue. We see and look for what the team needs," he explained.

The 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia will be held on May 5-17. Later, only 23 players will be brought to the fight arena.