[The Jakarta Post]: The Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) says it will not extend its naturalization programs to hire more soccer players in an effort to give more opportunities to local talent. Five foreign national football players, Victor Chukwuekenzie Igbonefo, Johnny Rudolf van Beu Kering, Tonnie Harry Cousel, Greg Nwokolo and Stefano Janite Lilipaly, were naturalized in October. However, the PSSI could still not use Nwokolo and Igbonefo in Indonesia’s pre-World Cup qualification matches against Qatar and Iran due to not having received confirmation from their original countries that both players had never played in Nigeria. “I am sure that we don’t need naturalization [programs] anymore. What should we do? Bribe [the committee] so we get the recommendations?” national team official Bernhard Limbong told reporters on Tuesday at the PSSI headquarters in Jakarta. Therefore, the PSSI would give more chances to local football players, Limbong said. “I want us to be proud of our local talents. As long as I am involved in national team, I will forbid naturalization [programs],” he said as quoted by kompas.com.
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