| JAKARTA (28 Feb 2009) – Dutch-born Serginho van Dijk might don Indonesian colours for the Asian Cup 2011 qualifiers.
Van Dijk, who is the joint top scorer in the Australian A-League with 12 goals this season for Queensland Roar, is already in talks with Indonesian football authorities. “I’m really serious about this,” said the 26-year-old Van Dijk to the Sydney Morning Herald. “I have had some people contact me, I had a talk with them, and there was a meeting last week with the Indonesian FA (PSSI). “They are positive about me playing for Indonesia. So that’s good. Now we have to sort it out regarding nationality.” Van Dijk’s father is Dutch while his mother is Indonesian. “I would like double nationality. I don’t want to give up my Dutch passport, because it brings up all sorts of negative things for me. “After my career I want to go home, so that would make it very hard if I have to give up my nationality.” Indonesia are competing in the same Asian Cup 2011 qualifying round as Australia and van Dijk could find himself up against Roar team-mate Craig Moore when the Socceroos host Indonesia in the return fixture in March 2010. The two teams recently played out a scoreless draw in Jakarta. “There is a friendly game coming up against Manchester United (on July 24) and they have already asked me if I want to play that game. It’s a non-FIFA game, so I don’t need citizenship for that,” he added. “I go there (Indonesia) many times to visit my family,” he said. “My grandfather is from the Molucca Islands, my grandmother is from Java. I can speak Bahasa, but where most of my family is coming from, we also speak another dialect. But I can understand most things.” |
