Kenzo Riedewald: A Promising Diaspora Talent for the Indonesian National Team

Kenzo Riedewald

Indonesia never seems to run out of diaspora talents to strengthen its national team. Following the emergence of names like Mauro Ziljstra and Dairenzo Brank, another promising player, Kenzo Riedewald, has come into the spotlight. Currently playing for AZ Alkmaar U-19, the 17-year-old recently graduated from the U-17 team and has shown impressive performances.

Kenzo Riedewald is a versatile forward who excels both on the wings and as a central striker. Standing at 177 centimeters tall, Kenzo has an ideal physique to compete up front. His football journey began at a young age, playing for several renowned academies in the Netherlands.

  • 2017-2019: FC Utrecht Academy
  • 2019: BFC Bussum Academy
  • 2020: Almere City Academy
  • 2020-2022: RKAVIC Amstelveen Academy
  • 2022-2023: Ajax Amsterdam Academy
  • 2023-Present: AZ Alkmaar Academy

His experience at these top academies has equipped Kenzo with the skills and mentality needed to compete at the international level.

Kenzo’s Indonesian heritage comes from his mother’s side. His maternal grandfather hails from Banda Neira, while his great-grandparents have roots in Banda Neira and Java. His father is of Surinamese descent. Despite growing up in the Netherlands, Kenzo is no stranger to Indonesia. At home, his mother often cooks traditional Indonesian dishes, which have made him fall in love with Indonesian cuisine.

Kenzo closely follows Indonesian football and is aware of many Dutch-Indonesian players who have chosen to represent the Indonesian national team. In an interview on Yussa Nugraha’s YouTube channel, Kenzo expressed his admiration for these players.

“I really like it. I like them playing in the country of their roots. So, I really like it,” said Kenzo.

Although Kenzo currently holds both Dutch and Surinamese passports and has already made three appearances for the Suriname U-17 team, he remains open to the possibility of representing Indonesia. Kenzo stated that he would accept an offer from PSSI (Indonesian Football Association) if it came.

“I might take the offer,” said Kenzo. “However, this also depends on the situation at my club, whether I have competitions or not. Usually, when the national team plays, we also have matches. If there are no matches, I would most likely agree.”

Kenzo is known to be the brother of Jairo Riedewald, the Crystal Palace star who also has Indonesian heritage. This connection further strengthens Kenzo’s ties to Indonesia and his potential to represent the Indonesian national team in the future.

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