Dutch expert: Indonesia team is over-hyped

The Indonesian team (in red) has returned to earth after a 1-5 defeat to Australia - Photo: Reuters

The Indonesian team has truly "returned to earth" after this 1-5 defeat to Australia, 20-3 in the 7th match of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.

In an interview on YouTube channel Sportienuws, 56-year-old coach Robert Maaskant, who is leading Helmund Sport Club, gave a detailed assessment of Indonesia's strength and their naturalization policy.

Mr. Robert Maaskant believes that the strength of the Indonesian team has been overblown and they are still just a small team.

"I think the Indonesian team has been overhyped. Honestly, we hardly know anything about this team, we rarely see them play. All we hear is that they naturalize this player or that player and in the end there are ten naturalized players from the Netherlands in their squad," he said.

According to this strategist, the reason these players chose to become Indonesian citizens is because they did not have the opportunity to play for the Netherlands national team. He said: "To be honest, these players would not choose Indonesia if they had the opportunity to play for the Netherlands.

So in terms of quality, they are all good players. But at the international level? The Indonesian team with these players cannot be called strong. The Indonesian team is still a low-ranking team."

Coach Robert Maaskant also warned that the players could lose their Dutch citizenship: "The Indonesian team chose to import players, that's what happened. But there is news that these players could lose their Dutch passports, that could be a big problem. The current government, they have firmly refused dual passports."

However, Mr. Maaskant still believes that the Indonesian team still has a chance to play in the 2026 World Cup. He commented: "The Indonesian team still has a chance to qualify through other routes, because they have just started... Things cannot change overnight. Football depends on the quality of the players. If the majority of players are still average, do not expect to suddenly be able to compete at the highest level."

Tomorrow, March 25, Indonesia will face Bahrain in Group C of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.

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