Naturalization of Mitchel Baker and Luke Vickery Strengthens the Squad Depth of the Indonesian National Team

Indonesia National Team has secured new young talent after Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives approved the Naturalization application for Mitchell Lee Baker and Luke Anthony Vickery submitted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. These two dual Indonesian-Australian heritage players are projected to boost the squad depth of Garuda Squad.

Minister of Youth and Sports who also serves as Chairman of the All-Indonesia Football Association, Erick Thohir, confirmed that bringing Mitchell and Luke on board is not only to expand player options, but also to raise the standard of internal competition within the national team setup.

"These two athletes are required to strengthen the national team squad depth. They will bring knowledge transfer and complement the capabilities of local footballers, for the benefit of both the national team and domestic professional leagues," stated Erick Thohir during the working meeting with Commission X of the House of Representatives regarding Indonesian citizenship grant proceedings in Jakarta.

According to Erick, both young players have demonstrated strong personal desire to become Indonesian citizens, driven by the intention to contribute to national Football Development and help lift the international competitiveness of Indonesia National Team.

For the 5-year short term roadmap, Mitchell Baker and Luke Vickery are being prepared to represent Garuda Squad for tournaments including the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup, FIFA Series 2026-2031, and the AFC Asian Cup 2027 hosted in Saudi Arabia.

Beyond that, both players are also included in Indonesia's medium term plans for the 2028 ASEAN Hyundai Cup, 2030 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, 2030 ASEAN Hyundai Cup, 2030 FIFA World Cup, and 2031 AFC Asian Cup.

This Naturalization program forms part of the broader strategic targets for Indonesian Football. Erick stated that addition of quality players is expected to help Indonesia break into the top 50 FIFA Rankings and reach the top 10 positions in Asia within the coming years.

Furthermore, the presence of Diaspora Players is also intended to support Indonesia's long term goal of consistently qualifying for the final tournament rounds of both the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup.

Erick explained that the naturalization process for Mitchell and Luke is implemented in full compliance with Presidential Instruction Number 3 of 2019 regarding Acceleration of National Football Development.

This official instruction mandates the Ministry of Youth and Sports to execute coordinated strategic measures to improve competitive performance of Indonesian Football at both domestic and international levels.

On player profiles: Mitchell Lee Baker is currently active with Georgetown University football program. This 19-year old striker carries Indonesian ancestry through his mother, Maureen Lee Baker.

His maternal grandfather Han Koen Lie was born in Yogyakarta, while his maternal grandmother Li Nio The Lie was born in Semarang, Central Java. This family background fulfills all official eligibility requirements for Mitchell's Indonesian citizenship naturalization.

Meanwhile, Luke Anthony Vickery is a 20-year old winger currently playing for Macarthur FC in Australia's top tier professional football league.

Luke has Indonesian heritage through his mother Cherie Claudine Vickery, with his maternal grandmother Hetty Nanda recorded as born in Medan, North Sumatra.

With their young age and prior experience competing in established high-performance football systems, Mitchell Baker and Luke Vickery are positioned as long term strategic investments for Indonesia National Team.