Local and Naturalized Players Are No Different in Patrick Kluivert's Eyes

In the 2026 World Cup qualifying match this June, the Indonesian national team coach Patrick Kluivert fulfilled his promise to provide equal opportunities to players from the BRI Liga 1 2024-2025 and those playing abroad. Seven players from the country's top-tier competition performed admirably against China on Thursday (5/6/2025) at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta.

Kluivert's debut with the Indonesian national team during the visit to Australia raised skepticism regarding Kluivert's promise of equality. This is because the Dutch tactician did not field any players from Liga 1 clubs at all.

The situation changed slightly when Kluivert included Rizky Ridho, the defender and captain of Persija Jakarta, in the starting eleven against Bahrain. Ridho has become the most frequently featured player from Liga 1 in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He has played six times from the start in the nine matches that the Garuda squad has undergone.

Witan Sulaeman, Malik Risaldi, and Yakob Sayuri also had the opportunity to be key players under the previous coach, Shin Tae-yong. During Shin's era, a maximum of only two players from Liga 1 filled the starting 11 in the Group C matches of the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

However, Kluivert demonstrated that he only needed time to better understand the resources of the Indonesian national team players, especially those from Liga 1. Ridho, Yakob, Ricky Kambuaya, and Egy Maulana Vikri are the ambassadors of Liga 1 who played since the kickoff in the match against China. Undoubtedly, this is the largest number of Liga 1 players to appear in a World Cup 2026 qualifying match.

Kluivert also fielded three Liga 1 players from the five substitute slots he utilized in the middle of the second half. The three players were Beckham Putra, who made his debut, followed by Stefano Lilipaly and Ramadhan Sananta, who has consistently appeared as a substitute in the three matches under Kluivert's management.

"The most important thing for me is that the players show their quality and that there is an opportunity for them. There is no difference between naturalized and local players. I am pleased that we have two teams of equal strength," said Kluivert at a press conference after Indonesia defeated China 1-0.

Kluivert added, "During the introduction, I stated the importance of seeking and providing opportunities for local players. They have demonstrated their quality in the game, which strengthens the team. I emphasize that naturalized players do not always play, as they must compete with local players."

Despite Ridho's consistent performance, who once again showcased a clean sheet alongside Jay Idzes and Justin Hubner, another standout player from Liga 1 is Kambuaya. The player from Dewa United was pivotal in the decision made by the Uzbekistan referee, Rustam Lutfullin, to award a penalty to Indonesia in the 44th minute. Ole Romeny's perfect execution secured a 1-0 victory for the Garuda squad in front of 69,661 supporters at SUGBK.

In addition, Kambuaya also created an opportunity for his teammates. He made four touches in the opponent's penalty area. Ricky's attacking play deserves to be called impressive as he was not playing in his natural position. Better known as one of the best attacking midfielders in Liga 1, Kluivert instead positioned Kambuaya as a left winger to fill the role usually played by Ragnar Oratmangoen.

"There is not much I can say about Ricky (Kambuaya)'s performance. He is a very shy man, but he is an excellent player once he is on the field," Kluivert said with a smile.

Kambuaya's teammate at Dewa, Egy, also supported Ole well in the attacking line. Egy managed to create two moments of short passing combinations with Ole that resulted in attacks penetrating the defense of the "Dragon Team," a nickname for China.

The match against China is an opportunity for Egy to play as a key player in the Indonesian national team since the Qatar 2023 Asian Cup match against Japan on January 24, 2024. Egy's passing accuracy reached 88 percent. He also created one chance and managed to take one shot, which unfortunately was off target.

Playing not in a pure position at the club was also experienced by Yakob. The scorer of 10 goals for Malut United in the 2024-2025 season was assigned as a defender on the right wing.

The tireless work ethic displayed by Yakob is evidenced by his record of four victories in duels and his superiority in two aerial duels against players from China. Yakob's long pass accuracy is also quite commendable, with a record of 67 percent.

Meanwhile, among the three substitute players, Beckham had the most opportunities to make an impact. Playing for 16 minutes, Beckham provided one key pass that resulted in a precise shot on target from Kevin Diks in the 79th minute.

The Persib Bandung player also achieved one successful dribble that split the Chinese defense. Not to be overlooked, Beckham recorded a 100 percent success rate in tackles and a 75 percent advantage in duels.

The opportunity to debut in the national team has boosted Beckham's confidence. He is undeterred by the competition in the Garuda squad, especially with the return of Marselino Ferdinan for the match against Japan. "I will strive to deliver my best performance in training and when given the chance to play," Beckham stated.

With the performance of the Liga 1 players, Kluivert is no longer considering searching for new naturalized players to compete in the fourth round next October. "It is better for us to maintain the current squad. I am happy and satisfied with their performance," said Kluivert.

The seven Liga 1 players have demonstrated that the opportunity to represent Garuda is still very much open. The condition is that local players must deliver performances above average in the national competition.