Impressive Performance at Persib, Teja Paku Alam Deemed Worthy to Defend Indonesian National Team.
Source: Persib Bandung
The consistent performance of goalkeeper Teja Paku Alam with Persib Bandung this season has earned recognition from his coach, Bojan Hodak. According to Hodak, the West Sumatra-born keeper deserves to be on the list of Indonesian National Team Players for the FIFA Series 2026 agenda.
Hodak assessed that Teja's performance throughout the BRI Super League 2025/2026 season demonstrates high consistency, making him worthy of a national team call-up.
“If you ask me, I believe Teja deserves to receive a (national team) call-up,” stated Hodak in Bandung on Tuesday.
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This season, Teja has become one of the most solid goalkeepers in the Super League. He recorded the most clean sheets in the competition with 14 unbeaten matches for Persib. This statistic reflects his stable performance under the crossbar.
However, from the list of 41 players called by National Team Coach John Herdman, Teja was not included. Only three Persib players were named in the provisional squad: Marc Klok, Beckham Putra Nugraha, and Eliano Reijnders.
This call-up marks Herdman's initial step since officially being appointed to handle the Indonesian National Team in January 2026.
He has begun monitoring several players from various clubs, including Persib's performance in domestic and Asian competitions.
Meanwhile, Persib midfielder Thom Haye cannot yet join the national team.
Haye is still serving disciplinary sanctions following an incident during the fourth-round match of 2026 World Cup Qualification when Indonesia faced Iraq in Saudi Arabia in October 2025.
For Hodak, the three called-up Persib players deserve the opportunity to represent the national team due to their consistent performances throughout the season.
“I believe all three players are indeed worthy. Over recent months, the National Team Coach has monitored our players, especially during AFC matches which are international-level and quite challenging,” he said.
He added that Persib players have demonstrated their quality not only in domestic competitions but also when facing strong opponents at the Asian level.
“Marc was previously injured but has now returned. Beckham and Eliano have also performed exceptionally well with the team, so they merit the call-up,” Hodak stated.
With Teja's impressive Super League performances, his opportunity to break into the Indonesian national team squad in the future remains open.
