Wolfgang Pikal Questions PSSI’s Naturalization Strategy

Wolfgang Pikal, former assistant coach to Alfred Riedl with the Indonesia national football team, has shared his views on PSSI‘s ongoing player naturalization program. According to him, this approach is merely a short-term solution and carries a risk of over-reliance.

Under the leadership of Erick Thohir, PSSI has actively pushed for the naturalization of players to strengthen the Indonesia national football team. Ahead of the matches against China and Japan in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Garuda squad has called up 32 players — 19 of whom are naturalized players.

Although there will be no additional naturalized players for the upcoming June 2025 FIFA Matchday, the policy remains under international media scrutiny. Domestically, the program has sparked mixed reactions — some support it for boosting team competitiveness, while others criticize it for potentially stalling the long-term development of local talents.