foto: Liputan6.com/Melinda Indrasari)
Indonesian national team coach Shin Tae-yong recently explained the decision not to include Eliano Reijnders in his squad when facing Japan and China in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian Zone. This decision was quite surprising, especially for fans who were hoping to see Eliano's performance on the field.
Eliano Reijnders was not listed in the 23 players brought by the Indonesian National Team when they played against the Japanese National Team. The match took place at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Central Jakarta, on November 15, 2024, and ended in a crushing 0-4 defeat for Indonesia. Meanwhile, Eliano could only watch from the stands.
In the press conference after the match, Shin Tae-yong expressed his views on Eliano. He explained, "For Eliano Reijnders not to be in the squad because, I think it is not good to be in the Indonesian National Team squad. So I chose like that." This shows that Shin Tae-yong has certain standards that players must meet before they can join the national team.
photo: liputan6.com
Since officially becoming an Indonesian citizen at the end of September 2024, Eliano has only appeared once for the Indonesian National Team. His debut occurred when he played for 45 minutes in the second half when the Indonesian National Team drew 2-2 against the Bahrain National Team on October 10, 2024.
However, after that match, Eliano was no longer called up by Shin Tae-yong for the match against the Chinese National Team, which ended in a 1-2 defeat on October 15, 2024. Currently, Eliano Reijnders plays for PEC Zwolle in the 2024/2025 Eredivisie competition.
So far, he has appeared in eight matches with a total playing time of 331 minutes. However, Eliano has not been a first-choice in the team, starting only three of the 12 games in the Eredivisie. Interestingly, Eliano is the brother of Tijjani Reijnders, the star of AC Milan and the Netherlands national team.
(brl/red)
