It will be wasted if these potentials are not accommodated by the federation (PSSI) and the Indonesian government.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Doha, Qatar, have discussed mapping soccer athletes of Indonesian descent or nationality who are currently playing for the Middle East country.

The discussion was held by PSSI chairperson Mochamad Iriawan and the Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar, Ridwan Hassan, on Wednesday on the sidelines of Iriawan’s visit to Doha to attend the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Executive Summit 2022.

"I got information from the ambassador that some Indonesian youngsters or descendants are currently playing football in Qatar. There are even Indonesian youngsters who are currently playing in Qatar's League 1 and League 2," the PSSI chairperson said in a social media post on Thursday.

Currently, there are several players of Indonesian descent who are building their careers in Qatar, such as Farri Agri, who is playing for the Muaither Soccer Club (SC) in the Qatari Second Division, and Khuwailid Mustofa, who is playing for Qatar SC in the Qatar Stars League -- the official name of the first league of Qatar.

Both of them were born in Lhokseumawe, Aceh province.

"It will be wasted if these potentials are not accommodated by the federation (PSSI) and the Indonesian government. These young talents will be able to help the national team to advance on the international stage," Iriawan said.

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During his working visit to Qatar, the PSSI chairperson was accompanied by the secretary general of PSSI, Yunus Nusi, and deputy secretary general of PSSI, Maaike Ira Puspita.

In addition to meeting the ambassador, the PSSI delegation held several meetings on the sidelines of the FIFA Executive Summit 2022.

They met with FIFA’s tournament manager, Christian Schmolzer, among others, to discuss the implementation of the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Indonesia.

Iriawan also held a meeting with vice chairperson of the Chinese Football Federation, Du Zhaocai, to explore several cooperation opportunities.

The opportunities include the development of young players and sports infrastructure as well as the plan to conduct friendly matches for national teams and clubs.

Currently, Qatar is hosting the FIFA Men’s World Cup from November 20 to December 18, 2022.

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Translator: Bayu Kuncahyo, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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