Following Vietnam, Indonesia urgently calls up 3 diaspora players for the Asian tournament

Indonesia U17 is swiftly renewing its team before the 2026 AFC U17 Championship, as it confirms it will supplement the squad with 3 quality diaspora players.

According to CNN Indonesia, the information was confirmed by Mr. Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto. Accordingly, the Indonesia U17 coaching staff is still in the process of reviewing the squad to prepare for the AFC U17 Championship taking place in Saudi Arabia in May.

Currently, the team from the archipelago nation is monitoring a preliminary list of 50 players. From this list, the coaching staff will narrow it down to the best 23 names for registration in the final round. The selection is conducted meticulously with the aim of creating a balanced, competitive, and deeper squad.

The three diaspora players set to join Indonesia U17 are Matt Baker, Noah Leo Duvert and Mike Rajasa Hoppenbrouwers. Matt Baker is a defender of Indonesian-Australian descent, currently part of Melbourne City FC. He is assessed as capable of strengthening the defense, an area where Indonesia U17 has previously exposed many issues.

Meanwhile, Noah Leo Duvert is a goalkeeper of French-Indonesian origin playing for the youth system of Bali United. The remaining name is Mike Rajasa Hoppenbrouwers, a goalkeeper developed from the FC Utrecht academy in the Netherlands. The arrival of these two new goalkeepers promises to create significant competition for the starting spot.

The decision to reinforce personnel comes after a forgettable phase for Indonesia U17. At the 2026 ASEAN U17 Championship, this team disappointed by being eliminated right from the group stage despite playing at home. Notably, the defeat against Vietnam U17 put heavy pressure on the coaching staff and sparked much debate in Indonesian public opinion.

The failure at the 2026 ASEAN U17 Championship not only impacted the results but also exposed limitations in defensive organization, match mentality, and squad depth of Garuda Muda. That is also the reason Indonesia is determined to refresh the team before stepping onto the continental stage.

Indonesia U17's goal at the Asian Championship is to advance as far as possible, while also affirming the status of its youth football in the region. With the fresh impetus from the 3 diaspora players, the archipelago nation's team hopes to display a completely different face compared to the recent failure. However, to turn expectations into reality, Indonesia U17 still needs to prove its capability through actual performance on the pitch.