Reason Behind Mauresmo Hinoke's Failed Naturalization Ahead of the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup

The reason for Mauresmo Hinoke's failed naturalization to join the Indonesia U-20 national team ahead of the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup has been revealed. It turns out the issue is related to his ancestry.

Hinoke, along with Tim Geypens and Dion Markx, was initially expected to join the Indonesian U-20 team for the upcoming tournament. However, only Geypens and Markx were successfully naturalized.

Unfortunately, the naturalization process for both players was delayed, and by the time it was completed, the registration deadline for the 2025 U-20 Asian Cup had passed in early February. Both players were officially sworn in as Indonesian citizens on February 8, 2025, which likely disqualifies them from participating in the tournament.

As for Hinoke, Coach Indra Sjafri previously mentioned that the player would not be naturalized. Team Manager Zaki Iskandar later explained that the reason was due to the distant ancestry line of Hinoke.

FIFA regulations stipulate that a player must have ancestry up to the third generation in order to qualify for naturalization. This means that a player can only change nationality if they can trace their lineage directly to their grandparents. In Hinoke's case, it appears that his Indonesian ancestry traces back to his great-grandparents, which makes him ineligible for naturalization as an Indonesian citizen.