Indonesia struggles with a series of unemployed pillars

Before the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia began, Indonesia faced a big problem when a series of naturalized players were unemployed.

6 naturalized Indonesian players are unemployed right before the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Photo: PSSI .

Defender Nathan Tjoe-A-On is the latest in a group of naturalized Indonesian players to find themselves unemployed. Despite having a contract with Swansea City until June 2026, he was terminated by the Welsh club ahead of schedule.

Not only Tjoe-A-On, 5 other naturalized players including center back Justin Hubner, striker Rafael Struick, midfielder Thom Haye, defender Shayne Pattynama and center back Jordi Amat are also in the same situation, either having their contracts terminated or not renewed.

These are all regulars in coach Patrick Kluivert's starting lineup during the third qualifying round of the World Cup. They contributed greatly to helping Indonesia win a ticket to the fourth qualifying round, along with five other strong teams including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq and Oman.

Some of these players are still considering their futures. Nathan Tjoe-A-On has turned down offers from several Indonesian clubs because he wants to stay in Europe. The 23-year-old defender is likely to return to the Dutch league, where he played for Excelsior.

Center-back Justin Hubner also shared his desire to continue testing his skills in the old continent. Meanwhile, Rafael Struick, Thom Haye, Shayne Pattynama and Jordi Amat are considering the possibility of moving to Thai League 1 or Liga 1 (Indonesia).

The fact that the pillars of all three lines are unemployed has more or less affected the preparation plan of the Indonesian team. Coach Kluivert faces the risk of the players not being in good physical condition and form in the context that there are less than 4 months left until the 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

As planned, the draw for the 2026 World Cup 4th Qualifiers will take place on July 17. The teams will compete centrally from October 8-14 in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Source: https://znews.vn/indonesia-lao-dao-vi-loat-tru-cot-that-nghiep-post1562511.html