Friday, 21 June 2024 – 11:54 WIB
VIVA – Maarten Paes has not yet been able to strengthen the Indonesian national team. In fact, he officially became an Indonesian citizen at the end of April 2024.
The problem is, the FC Dallas goalkeeper is hampered by FIFA Statutes Article 9 concerning Association Transfers, letter b, paragraph three.
“When played in his last official match in any competition for his current association, he has not yet reached the age of 21,” reads Article 9 of the FIFA Statutes.
Paes has played six times for the Dutch U-21 National Team, and his last appearance came at the age of 22 against the Belarusian National Team in the 2021 U-21 Euro Qualifiers on 15 November 2020.
PSSI Exco member, Arya Sinulingga, gave good news about Paes’ opportunities. He said there was still a chance for the player to become part of the Garuda squad.
“Maarten Paes’ development is still being tried. At FIFA there are still opportunities, at CAS there are also opportunities. Everyone at the same time. We have to wait for their time,” said Arya Sinulingga.
“We hope so. Moreover, Maarten Paes has become an Indonesian citizen and everything is complete. If there are no gaps, don’t submit it to CAS,” added Arya Sinulingga.
Maarten Paes is expected to be able to defend the Indonesian National Team in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification Asia Zone in September 2024. This means that PSSI still has about three months left to resolve its problems.
“If we don’t try to make him an Indonesian citizen, we won’t have the opportunity to fight for him. Because we can’t fight for him if he’s not an Indonesian citizen. We have to be brave. Whatever we have to do,” he said.
