It’s not just Indonesia, led by Shin Tae-yong, who are actively using naturalized players to bolster their squad.
Sri Lanka, ranked No. 200 in the FIFA rankings, upset No. 180 Cambodia in the second leg of their 2027 Saudi Arabia Asian Cup qualifying playoff on Tuesday. After a 0-0 draw at home in the first leg of the playoff, Sri Lanka drew 2-2 away from home in the second leg before winning 4-2 on penalties to advance to the final round of qualifying. Sri Lanka pulled off one of the most remarkable feats in the history of the national team in Cambodia, paving the way for a spot in the main draw that will also feature the likes of South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, 토토사이트 and Iran.
But it wasn’t the result that caught the eye, it was the change in Sri Lanka’s lineup. A whopping eight of the 11 Sri Lankans who started against Cambodia were naturalized players. Leon Perera, Claudio Kamernecht, and Jason Thayaparan are German, Jack Hinger and Sam Durant are English, Oliver Kellat is Australian, Wade Decker is Dutch, and Adhavan Rajamohan is Swedish.
Kellatt and Kamernecht scored the opening goal and the dramatic extra-time equalizer against Cambodia, respectively. Defender Hingert, a ‘league legend’ who has been playing for Brisbane Roar in Australia for 13 years, made a surprise naturalization to Sri Lanka this year and scored the winning goal.
Of the 25 players that Sri Lanka, led by Kuwaiti interim coach Abdullah Al Muthairi, selected on A-Match Day in September, all but eight of the remaining 17 have played overseas in leagues such as Germany, France, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and Australia.
Sri Lanka jumped five spots in the September FIFA rankings from 205th to 200th with the win over Cambodia. The team is looking to return to the top 100 for the first time in nearly six years since 2018.
Previously, Qatar, China and others have utilized naturalization policies to fill the gap. Recently, there has been a new wave of naturalization centered on Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia under Shin Tae-yong, Malaysia under Kim Pan-gon, and the Philippines under Kim. As European-born players who have gone through the European youth system have been integrated into the Asian stage, it is said that the power of Southeast Asian countries is gradually rising.