Shin Tae-yong's legacy is erased from the Indonesian team

(NLDO) - In the recent list of players called up to the Indonesian national team, 6 of former coach Shin Tae-yong's key players were eliminated by coach Kluivert.

Ahead of the two matches against Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, coach Patrick Kluivert suddenly removed the names of six players who were pillars of the "island country" under the reign of Shin Tae-yong.

In the list of 28 Indonesian players just called up, right-back Asnawi Mangkualam continues to be absent despite playing regularly in the Thai League.

In this position, Kluivert prioritizes Sandy Walsh and Yakob Sayuri. Similarly, Pratama Arhan, who holds the record of 50 caps for Indonesia – was also left out due to inconsistent form at Bangkok United, and has to compete with three naturalized defenders Verdonk, James and Pattynama.

Marselino Ferdinan, who scored against Saudi Arabia and Iraq, was not called up because of his lack of playing time in Europe.

Up front, Rafael Struick lost his starting position when he almost "disappeared" at Dewa United. Marselino Ferdinan , who scored against Saudi Arabia and Iraq, was also not named because he rarely played in Europe.

In midfield, Ivar Jenner was injured in mid-September and could not recover in time to play. Meanwhile, center-back Mees Hilgers was "frozen" by FC Twente and was not allowed to play from the beginning of the 2025-2026 season due to transfer conflicts, causing him to not be in the best form to compete.

Mees Hilgers lost his place because he did not play this season.

The fact that a series of veterans were left out shows that Coach Kluivert prioritizes actual performance over past reputation. At the same time, this is also an opportunity for new faces to show off and assert their position, in the context of Indonesia's determination to hunt for tickets to the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/di-san-cua-shin-tae-yong-bi-gach-ten-o-tuyen-indonesia-196251003131702191.htm