YOGYAKARTA - PSSI repeatedly brought in naturalized players to strengthen the Indonesian national team. Unmitigated, players selected in the naturalization program have also competed in the European football league. But unfortunately there were several naturalized players who failed to shine with the national team.
The naturalization program has been run by PSSI since the 2010s. The effort to bring in football players of Indonesian descent aims to boost the achievements of the national team in the international arena.
However, the naturalization program does not always produce sweet results, because a number of naturalized players fail to shine with the Garuda national team.
Many Indonesian football fans feel disappointed with the appearance of a number of naturalized players. It is predicted that it will give a new color and increase the strength of the national team, but not a few naturalized players are sluggish and look bad.
Despite having experience playing with clubs in the European League, a number of naturalized players have not been able to present brilliant actions while defending Indonesia. The following is a list of naturalized players who failed to shine with the Garuda national team:
Bio Paulin was once a player who stole the attention of Indonesian football fans as a tough defender of Persipura Jayapura. Even this Cameroonian player once led Persipura to win the 2008/2009 and 2010/2011 Indonesian League champions.
Thanks to his stunning action, Bio Paulin was recruited as a naturalized player to strengthen the Indonesian national team in 2015. Unfortunately, Bio Paulin failed to show his best action when he was in the Red and White uniform. Finally, he was rarely asked to fill the teams of the Indonesian national team.
Tonnie Cusell is also in the ranks of naturalized players who failed to shine with the Indonesian national team. Cusell received an Indonesian passport in 2012 and participated in defending the Indonesian national team during the 2012 AFF Cup which was held in Malaysia.
Tonnie Cusell had performed in the Indonesian League for a year after undergoing the AFF Cup. He had uniformed Barito Putera until 2014. In 2019, he decided to hang up his shoes. He was only able to collect four caps for the senior Indonesian national team.
Another naturalized player who failed to become a star with the Indonesian national team was Jhonny van Beudering. This Dutch-born player actually has a career that is not bad in his home country. He has helped his club win twice in the Dutch second caste league.
However, when he was brought to Indonesia in 2012, Jhonny van Beudering no longer showed stunning performance. He did not contribute much to the Indonesian national team in the 2012 AFF Cup match. Jhonny was only able to carve two assists for the red and white team, without bagging a goal.
Sergio van Dijk was hailed to become the star of the Indonesian national team at his time. Many fans of Indonesian football are looking forward to the action of this player who has competed in Europe. Van Dijk is in the plot as the spearhead of the red and white team in the 2014 AFF Cup.
Unfortunately, Sergio van Dijk performed poorly when he played for the national team in the pre-2015 Asian Cup. During his strengthening of the Indonesian national team, Sergio van Dijk was only able to score one goal in six matches.
One of the naturalized players who disappointed Indonesian football lovers was Silvio Escobar. The player who was born in Paraguay has played in the Indonesian league since 2014. He already has collected poor experiences across several League 1 clubs.
Silvio Escobar officially became an Indonesian citizen (WNI) in 2019. However, the 37-year-old player has never worn an Indonesian national team uniform.
Guy Junior is also a naturalized player who has been highlighted for his sluggish appearance. The player who plays as an attacker comes from Cameroon. He has been in the Indonesian football competition since 2015. He decided to become an Indonesian citizen in 2016.
During his career, Guy Junior has defended several top clubs in Indonesia. He has played with PSM Makassar, PSS Sleman, Madura United, Borneo FC, Bhayangkara FC, and is currently in the uniform of Kalteng Putera. However, the performances with these clubs have not made him trusted to fill the Indonesian national team.
Those are some naturalized players who fail to shine with the Indonesian national team. Despite having experience playing in the European league, the arrival of naturalized players does not always contribute achievements. Also read Justin Hubner's profile of naturalized players who have played in the Premier League.
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