REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia U-17 national team coach Bima Sakti said that two diaspora players, Welber Halim Jardim and Amar Rayhan Brkic, are projected to strengthen the Young Garudas at the 2023 U-17 Football World Cup, November 10 to December 2. This assurance was conveyed by Bima after learning that another diaspora player Chow-Yun Damanik failed to join due to passport constraints.

“Yes, only two (Welber and Amar),” Bima said after leading the U-17 national training session at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, Monday (30/10/2023).

The U-17 team has been in Jakarta for approximately one week after completing a six-week training session in preparation for the 2023 U-17 World Cup in Germany.

However, since arriving in Jakarta, the U-17 diaspora player who has joined the team is Welber, while Amar has not been seen because the 16-year-old footballer is on licence to strengthen his club Hoffenheim U-17 in the B-Junioren Bundesliga Sud/Sudwest.

“Yes, he's allowed two games, he played the last one yesterday. There are actually two more games (with his club),” Bima explained. “But we ask him to come quickly because we also need adaptation. Especially Amar, the weather also needs adaptation to the weather in Indonesia. Because we were last yesterday in Germany it could even get to 6 degrees, 5 degrees Celsius.”

The good news is that the Balikpapan born man confirmed that Amar will come to Indonesia on this day, Monday (30/10/2023). “So Amar might have arrived today. And hopefully tomorrow I can practice and be able to adapt to the weather in Indonesia,” Bima said.

With 11 days to go until the U-17 World Cup, the U-17 team immediately streamlined its squad to 21 players from the current 26. The U-17 team will travel to Surabaya on November 3, 2023 to carry out the final preparations.

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