Jakarta Casual

Young Lion Kai Hopes For Singapore Future

2026-04-14T16:43:00.002+07:00

In one of the stranger transfer stories of recent months, Young Lions have announced they have signed Kai Whitmore.

But, because the young Welshman was released by his League 2 side Newport County after the transfer window had shut, and because he has arrived in Singapore after their transfer window had shut, he won't actually be able to play until next season.

Whitmore though does have big ambitions. Unlike some players who have been down the naturalisation route, the 25 year old defender has a father who was born in Singapore - and his grandfather was based on the island with the RAF.

While he may not yet be able to don the colours of his new team until next season, he is apparently being allowed to train with his new team mates, and of course, he will have plenty of time to get used to the weather - Singapore being a bit warmer than South Wales!

Singapore enjoyed great success with naturalised players some 20 years ago but those were players who qualified through time served if you like. That policy withered though and the Lions focused on local players for a while without being able to replicate that earlier glory.

Whitmore, and Cardiff City's Perry Ng, show a sea change as the FAS perhaps have been casting envious looks at Indonesia which has embraced its diaspora in recent years.

A Scheduling Nightmare Looms

2026-04-12T15:06:00.003+07:00

I realise most national associations in South East Asia will only have their eyes on the remainder of this season but for Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand they need to be having half an eye on next season. Around the world, most football nations will have already drawn up a framework for the new season but that doesn't happen in our part of the world. But next season, just look what needs to be taken into account when drawing up fixture lists - I'm tired just thinking about it!

National Teams

July/August - AFF Championship 2026

September/October? - FIFA ASEAN Cup

January/February - AFC Asian Cup

Club Sides

July/May - AFC Champions League Elite

July/May - AFC Champions League 2

August/May? - ASEAN Club Championship

July/May - AFC Challenge League

Bhayangkara And JDT See Winning Runs End

2026-04-12T02:55:00.001+07:00

Super League

PSIM v PSM 1-2 (Corfe; Cumic, Lagator) 1,866

Persita v Arema 0-1 (Amadio) 1,313

Borneo v PSBS 5-1 (Bauer 2, Ruiz, Astina, Trisnanda; Nader) 3,950

Madura United v Persik 2-1 (Olepue, Riquelme; Sanjaya) 737

Persija v Persebaya 3-0 (Allano, Runtukahu 2) 39,443

Persijap v Bhayangkara 2-1 (Borja, William; Sidibe)

Championship

Garudayaksa v PSMS 1-0 (Everton) 127

Persiku v PSIS 3-3 (Igor Costa 2, da Silva; Rafael 2, Beto) 4,243

Persipura v Persela 0-0 17,394

Barito Putera v PSS 1-0 (Renan Alves) 7,379

Liga 4 Jakarta Final

PSJS v ASIOP 1-3

Liga 4 Banten Final

Harin v Nathan Lebak 0-1

Malaysia Super League

Kelantan Real Warriors v KL City 0-2

Imigresen v Penang 0-0

JDT v Terengganu 1-1

Selangor v Sabah 1-1

Singapore Premier League

Tampines Rovers v Geylang International 4-3

Tanjong Pagar United v Young Lions 0-1

Adhyaksa To Offer Eastern Promise

2026-04-10T17:24:00.004+07:00

Indonesia changes the further east you go. For me, like many Indonesians, Jakarta was the centre of the country. It was where I'd go to buy decent bread, drink cold beer, visit quality restaurants or buy clothes that could fit me.

But Jakarta isn't Indonesia. Gandhi used to say India was in the villages. In that case, Indonesia is out in the islands. Remote. Difficult to get to. Difficult to travel between. A very different Indonesia to the one sophisticated city types on Java are used to.

Look at a map of Indonesia and you see the heavily populated, large islands of Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan with loads of sea between them and Papua at the eastern end of the archipelago. And in between lie thousands of smaller islands, many unpopulated, many home to their own unique cultures and traditions. But mostly overlooked.

In football terms, PSM (from Sulawesi) and Persipura (Papua) are considered the giants of the east from two large islands. For them, every away game includes a trip to the local airport and will usually involve transit somewhere.

But those other islands, the tiny ones scattered on the seas like stepping stones, rarely feature in the nation's football psyche. Malut United do add a hint of spice and exotica from their island home on Ternate but they sit in the shadow of the spider-like Sulawesi.

It is in to this maze of little-known islands Adhyaksa are looking to move. As they bid for promotion from the Championship, this Serang-based club are looking to the future and are in talks with East Nusa Tenggara authorities to move their club to Kupang, the main town on the island of Timor.

Formed in 2020 as Farmel FC in South Tangerang, the club have been serial name changers and home base changers in their short existence. A move to Kupang would see them move island and move time zone and could provide the island of Timor more headlines than it has seen for many a year.

Kupang is closer to Australia than it is to Jakarta!

I must admit I know nothing about Kupang. What are the facilities like? Who knows?

I do know, thanks to Wiki, Liga 4 NTT this season featured four Kupang-based teams and all their games were played in Ende on a different island, Flores.

These clubs with wealthy backers parachute themselves into smaller towns but rarely pick up any local supporters. RANS Nusantara are the classic example. Indonesian football fans tend to be suspicious of these clubs, especially when they have their own local sides which for years have been starved of funding or investment.

It is not yet clear what any Adhyaksa team in Kupang would look like but it would be nice to think that management work with the existing sides in the city, perhaps 'merge' with them and take the Kupang name into potentially the Super League. Imagine a Persekota Adhyaksa welcoming Persija or Persib!

Whatever shape or form any move looks like, undoubtedly, a game in Kupang will offer fans yet another uniquely Indonesian football experience!

Bogor Raya Hoping To Put Kota Hujan Back On Football Map

2026-04-09T23:45:00.003+07:00

Bogor is well known for its cool climate, rain and impressive Botanical Gardens. It was for a while known as Pakuan and when the Dutch colonised the archipelago, the name was changed to Buitenzorg. Now it is better known as a destination for crowds from Jakarta attracted by its cooler climes. One thing it has never been known for in my 20 years of following Indonesian football is, um, football.

Yes, during the days of plenty of the Liga Primer Indonesia, there was a team called Bogor Raya but they played in Cibinong as did Persikabo which, strictly speaking, is the team for Bogor Regency or district.

There is a PSB which is actually based in the city of Bogor, at the Pajajaran Stadium to be precise, but again, in my 20 years they have never risen higher than the third tier.

It's a shame really. Bogor, nicknamed the rainy city or Kota Hujan, would make a great football trip, either for the game or even a few days.

Given Bogor's football anonymity, why the sudden interest?

Idly flicking through Liga 4 West Java, which ran from October-November 2025, what name should leap out but Bogor Raya! Intrigued I delved deeper.

Since their one-off season in the Liga Primer Indonesia back in 2011 Bogor Raya disappeared with as little fanfare as they arrived. Until last year when they came from nowhere to complete in Liga 4 much to my surprise.

Drawn in Group L which was based in Depok, Bogor Raya played three games, winning two and losing one

Bogor Raya v Persikabo 1-2

Pakuan City v Bogor Raya 2-6

Diklat ISA v Bogor Raya 1-6

Those six points were enough to finish top of the group and go on to the knockout round in Cimahi where the wins and the goals kept a-coming

Bogor Raya v Cibinong Poetra 3-0

Bogor Raya v Bojong Gede Raya 1-0

Semi-Final

Bogor Raya v Perssi Sukabumi 2-1

Final

Abinaya Squad v Bogor Raya 0-2

As Bogor Raya played in Series 2 of Liga 4 which is the second tier, it appears their season ended there with those seven games. It's not clear if their success would guarantee them promotion to Liga 4 West Java Series 1 which could, in theory, offer them a pathway to the Liga 4 National rounds and promotion to Liga Nusantara.

It's all a far cry from when Bogor Raya were part of a rebel league looking to change the game in Indonesia. While researching for this piece I looked up Billy Quinncroft, an English lad who I met while he was with Bogor Raya. It looks like he gave up on football and now, 15 years after we met, he's now a boxer!

Bangkok United Hope Freebies Will Draw Fans To Big Game

2026-04-09T16:43:00.004+07:00

A rare post about Thai football.

Nothing screams lack of football culture like a professional football club giving away free tickets to a game. But when that game is a semi-final in one of the continent's biggest club competitions?

Bangkok United defeated Gamba Osaka 1-0 in yesterday's first leg in Japan. An excellent result by any standard and one which Bangkok United and, by extension, Thai football should be rightly proud. Bangkok United stand just 90 minutes from the AFC Champions League 2 Final

In a football daft world, fans would be queuing round the block for tickets - or in the modern world, the online ticket website would have crashed under the demand.

But no, for reasons best known to the football club, they have decided to open the gates and let everyone roll up - free of charge!

The fact that Bangkok United don't have their own ground, they have been sharing BG Pathum United's wonderful arena (which isn't even in Bangkok!) only adds to their achievement.

But their borrowed ground isn't available for next week's semi-final and the club have been left to relocate to Rajamangala Stadium.

A look at their average attendances over the last few years shows the last time they topped 3,000 was in 2019 when they topped 4,300 - boosted by their two opening home games pulling in more than 27,000

The badge has changed but do they still have the Angels?

So, yes, a middling team with attendances below the average in Thai League 1 yet a team that is obviously good enough to go toe to toe with the best in east Asia (!) (except Persib!) as their run this season shows

Free tickets or not, hopefully a large crowd will be there cheering on Tawan's boys. It could also be a chance to see a true Thai great with Teerasil Dangda wearing Bangkok United colours this season

Group Stage

Selangor v Bangkok United 2-4

Bangkok United v Persib 0-2

Bangkok United v Lion City Sailors 1-0

Lion City Sailors v Bangkok United 1-2

Bangkok United v Selangor 1-1

Persib v Bangkok United 1-0

Knockout Stage

Bangkok United v Macarthur 2-0

Macarthur v Bangkok United 2-2

Bangkok United v Tampines Rovers 2-1

Tampines Rovers v Bangkok United 2-2

Semi-Final

Gamba Osaka v Bangkok United 0-1

A Familiar Name Returns To Singapore

2026-04-07T16:25:00.002+07:00

Albirex Niigata have announced that from next season they will be known as FC Jurong as they complete the transition from a Japanese-owned club to one with a Singaporean identity.

Singapore football fans with longer memories than mine fondly recall a Jurong FC who played in the SLeague until 2003 when they withdrew due to financial reasons.

Albirex Niigata have long been associated with the Jurong area, playing their home games at the Jurong East Stadium and featuring line dancers from a local club as half-time entertainment!

Singapore teams have long since stopped announcing attendances at games so I guess we are only left with conjecture. Will Alibirex Niigata fans continue to support the team with its new identity? And what about fans of Jurong FC? They lost their side over 20 years ago. Will they care enough to return?

While there are questions that will only be answered next season, this has to be a positive move for Singapore football. Lion City Sailors look like they're gonna dominate for years to come, community-based clubs are still seen as a vital part of the league there and hopefully, the good burghers of Jurong get behind the new team in numbers

A financially strong side in the west of the island could provide strong competition to LCS and Tampines Rovers in the east and that has to be good for Singapore football, right?

A Lament For Malaysian Grassroots Football

2026-04-07T15:12:00.000+07:00

GUEST COLUMN - Dez Corkhill

Off-duty cops watch the police team play a government department in Malaysia's 2nd tier

The recent “Heritage Seven” controversy in Malaysia has renewed calls for an investment in Malaysia’s “Grassroots” as one way of solving the eternal problem of Malaysia underachieving at the world’s most popular, and greatest, sport.

The attempts to “short-cut” a way to success with the use of Heritage and Naturalised players in National and professional club sides is under renewed attack by many.

So, let’s look at “Grassroots” in Malaysia, and compare it to "Grassroots” elsewhere.

I’ve been in Malaysia 16 years, and I opine that “Grassroots” football in this splendid country is a fantasy. The whole system is flawed. And I don’t see much hope of it changing until, or unless, State FA’s care more about finding ways to effectively fund or support the sport of football, and less about the politics and benefits of being “in power”.

For virtually my whole time in South East Asia, I have bemoaned the lack of a pyramid of local clubs for people to play for, or support. When I came to work in Malaysia in 2010, I searched for a club team to train with, but literally couldn’t (easily) find one. I had assumed it would be easy enough because how can a sport continue to thrive without a conveyor belt of talent being tested in good clubs. But I found information about leagues and clubs in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur was almost invisible. Even now, unless you search for something specific, information is pretty tough to come by.

Without a strong football “pyramid”, there are precious few places for players who aren’t good enough at 16 to become pro to continue to play at a competitive level. Similarly there is no place to give game time to players dropping down from elite levels. There’s also no community team for a community to get behind and develop local pride.

State Leagues are – or should be – the effective level 5 of Malaysian football.

Level one is the 13 “professional” clubs in the Malaysia Super League (of whom at least five this season, again, are behind in paying players wages).

Level two is the AFL Semi pro league of 16 clubs which includes the likes of Selangor and Johor Darul Ta’zim 2nd XI’s, plus Perak, Kedah and Pahang State teams as well as the ATM (Army) and Immigration II teams. It is hardly “Community” based. Even at this level there are two teams (probably more) in financial turmoil with one – Machan – recently withdrawing from the League. And, to the surprise of no-one, a Korean club, Seoul Phoenix who mystifyingly made it into the League, also hit a financial barrier.

I’m confused exactly what levels three and four are in Malaysia, but Level 5 brings us to the State Leagues.

Let me give you a recent experience.

I stay in Petaling Jaya near the Old Town. I have long looked for a LOCAL non-league club to follow/support on the weekends I have off. MBPJ once upon a time sponsored a team that was good enough to win the Malaysia Cup, but then withdrew funding, and the “club” reverted to Amateur and State league status.

Recently I chanced upon a team training under two weak floodlights at a nearby football pitch, and on closer examination, I recognised the lean figure of Indra Putra Mahayuddin. The top-scoring local player in Malaysian football league history. Now 44, Indra was training for a new Selangor State League (FAS Super League) season with MBPJ, and a former broadcast colleague (and ex International) Nazzab Hidzan was coaching them from the sidelines.

The FAS Super League is one of a number of level 5 State Leagues under the overall umbrella of the "A3 Community League". I pledged to follow MBPJ as the season started.

Time for a comparison. In England, the most local (decent) non-League team near where I was born is called Prescot Cables. They have their own stadium, which they run and manage. And the stadium is in the town of Prescot (population 12,000). This season, Prescot are playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, which is level SEVEN (step 3 of level 7). They have an average attendance of 600 paying fans for each of their home games in what is (sadly) likely to be a relegation season.

Back in Malaysia, you’d imagine Petaling Jaya (population within the immediate administrative area of Petaling Jaya Council – MBPJ – 807,000) would have several decent standard clubs to look out for within a short distance.

Sadly, wrong. MBPJ play this season at the temporary Radia Arena pitches in Shah Alam (some 20 km from home), as do all the teams in the league.

So, the chances of people – the likes of me - in PJ heading out to see the game are remote, and hence the chance of developing a “community” feel to the club in the Malaysia A3 Community League is pretty much negligible.

Nonetheless, I made my way to the venue on Sunday for the season opener. The venue for all League games are two temporary artificial pitches built by a property developer. Anyway, I spy my team, and walk to the gate to try to get in to watch, only to be informed: “Tiada penonton” - “No spectators allowed”. Repeat. No spectators allowed. “Don’t you know who I am?” I tried. They didn’t.

At best, I was able to watch the game from behind one of the goals behind a big wire fence designed to keep people out. I joined some 150 or so souls in settling down to watch from outside the perimeter of the 2 pitches.

The chances of knowing WHO the players we were watching were? Nil.
Scoreboards? Nil.
Referees with full communication? Of course. Must keep up Cosplay appearances.
Floodlight. Yes – but around 500 lux when any decent semi-pro set-up would have 1,000 lux power at least.

This is level 5. This is a League containing teams supposedly close to the best 100 in Malaysia. There are no spectator facilities, and not even a thought that there should be.

From my distant vantage point, the football qualty was very respectable. MBPJ (ie Petaling Jaya) were very much second best to MBSA (ie Shah Alam) who ran out 5-0 winners and made Indra look and feel very much like the 44-year old player he is.

The issue of this post isn’t the quality of football on display; it’s the inaccessibility. It’s the lack of information. It’s the lack of “locality”. There’s no chance for PJ to have a “home” game as all the Super League matches are on the same pitch.

Within a kilometre of the MBPJ Offices close to where I live, there are at least five venues seemingly perfect for a Community team to have a base. All would need some work, but they are seemingly ideal bases to play “home” games at and to provide a club feel.

The local Dataran Petaling Jaya Padang with spectator facilities already in place and space for 2 pitches. MBPJ staff often play “walking football” on the grass after their work is done
The Astaka field (which is where I saw MBPJ train) which has two well-cared for pitches and yet is only occasionally used for competitive football;
A hockey stadium with excellent spectator facilities, lights and a pitch upon which I have never seen any hockey activity in 15 years living here;
Two rough and ready fields in the middle of the Old Town where a couple of academies sometimes use the unkempt pitches,
A walled-off pitch on PJ Padang, which has goal nets in place, and the only sport I have seen there in 15 years is scratch games of cricket.

These are potential places for a club to have a base IN the community. Here you have a chance to publicise YOUR club to YOUR community. You can publicise games and club events, host visiting teams and generate youth teams, and make a real community contribution with a local club. These clubs do not exist in Malaysia. And it;s not as if there isn't an example close by. The Cobra Rugby club and clubhouse shares the same Astaka field as mBPJ play on.

Instead, to see my local team, I have to travel 20 km for the right to not be able to watch the team from the sidelines.

“Grassroots”? Pah !

To labour the point. When I was a student in Dundee, Scotland, in the 1980’s, my local half decent club in the (now) Midlands League (level 6 in Scotland) was East Craigie. Established in the 1880’s. I went to train and played for a season with the team. East Craigie play in (guess?) the East Craigie district of Dundee in a small stadium with floodlights, spectator facilities and a well cared for pitch. From our club emerged a several players who played top flight Scottish league football.

Similarly, when I moved to South Wales for work in the late 80’s. I lived in a little village called Taffs Well (population 3,500). I went to the club and played a season for them before moving to a different team in Cardiff.

Taffs Well have a team currently playing in the Ardal South East League (level 3 in Wales). The club was founded in 1946 and have had some successes over the years at the semi-professional level. They, too, have a stadium IN the village of Taffs Well with 2 stands, floodlights, a clubhouse, a well-tended pitch, a thriving youth set-up and an online presence that informs us who the players are and when the matches are played.

THESE are examples of Grassroots clubs. Youth set ups and academies can then feed into these clubs. It is not easy to do, but these clubs I have played for, or support, are commonplace in the UK (England, Scotland and Wales).

This community club ideal does not exist in Malaysia. Until it does, and a pyramid of some proper, well-managed community-based clubs emerge, expect the need for short-cuts at the top of the ladder.

Remembering Aremania

2026-04-02T16:03:00.001+07:00

On this day in 2010 I got to witness Aremania up close and personal for the first time. Back in those distant days, Arema were seen as a big club and their supporters held up as a kind of ideal for the rest of the country. Before Brigata Curva Sud took the Indonesian football atmosphere to the world, there was Aremania.

Me being me, I'd hired a car and driver for the nearly one-hour drive south from Malang through kampungs and rice fields to the temple that was Kanjuruhan. We weren't alone on the narrow lanes, in front and behind were hundreds of Arema fans making the same journey, doubled up on motorcycles, flags waving as they weaved in and out of each other, klaxons sounding out of unity, not aggression

We arrived about 2 hours early and I took my seat in the press box opposite the open terrace where the hardcore Arema fans were already congregating. As we approached kick-off, the noise levels were going off the scale. The opponents were the unfancied Pelita Jaya but no one cared - they were there to see an Arema side chasing the Indonesia Super League title for the first time

The game wasn't bad. Inspired by Singapore duo Noh Alam Shah and M Ridwan, Arema hit Pelita Jaya for 6 with a hat trick for the mercurial NAS. Yes, I did watch the game, well, I had half an eye on the game. I was mesmerised by the spectacle of thousands of Aremania chanting, swaying as one

The beaches of Bali, the temples of Yogyakarta, the majesty of Mount Bromo are typically cited as among Indonesia's primary tourist attractions, but here in rural Kanjuruhan was a man-made attraction rivalling those more traditional destinations. Forget the Kop, San Siro or Camp Nou, here was a football crowd worth travelling for

In those days, Arema and their fans could do no wrong. They inspired a film called The Conductors and on this particular humid evening, each song, each chant, each performance was greeted by enthusiastic applause from the 'normals' sat in front of me in the main stand. Arema would end the season winning the league with an estimated 60,000 fans heading to Jakarta for the end of season party.

Indonesian football was blue and Arema were going to lead it to a glorious future.

Except of course, it never happened. Arema soon became a normal team, a mid-table side with the memory of 2010 burning fresh in the psyche of the supporters. Indonesian clubs have rarely been able to build on success. The league is just to competitive, and the clubs then were so poorly managed, the idea of sustained success was an alien one.

There have been a couple of runners-up since that heady season, but sadly, Arema's fall from grace was cemented on a fateful October day in 2022. Arema lost to their bitterest rival, Persebaya, at the Kanjuruhan Stadium. Some fans invaded the pitch, security responded with tear gas leading to a stampede. In the resulting crush, 135 fans lost their lives.

Arema Football Club has never been the same since. Frustrated at what they see as the poor response by the club, many fans have turned their back on the team. Whereas once, crowds regularly topped 15,000, this season many have been in the hundreds.

Some of those who perished may well be in the video above. Many others have just stopped going and I have no idea what it would take for them to return. All that remains of Aremania in their prime can be found in videos like this one and many other to be found on YouTube

The Yaksa Twins

2026-04-01T17:12:00.000+07:00

Despite the rather pithy headline, as far as I'm aware, there is no relationship between Adhyaksa Banten or Garudayaksa - Jaksa in it's more common usage translates as Prosecutor. So, who are these two new teams that are leading the way in the Championship Group A and are scheduled to meet in a few days' time in a crucial top-of-the-table clash with only one guaranteed promotion place at stake?

Adhyaksa Banten

We'll start with Adhyaksa cos they come first alphabetically and as you look at a map of Indonesia left to right (west to east), you'd see them first! Oh, and my son was with their academy for a few months.

Only formed in 2020 as Farmel, Adhyaksa have had a stellar few years, winning Liga 3 Banten in 2023 and Liga 3 in 23/24.

Based in the Serpong/Tangerang Selatan area initially, now they stand on the verge of the top flight, they are playing their home games at the new Banten International Stadium in Serang, which they share with Dewa United, about an hour west of Tangerang.

With the Tangerang area already home to more established sides like Persita and Persikota, Adhyaksa have struggled to attract a fan base and with many attendances counted in the hundreds, home games at the 30,000 capacity ground won't have the best atmosphere.

Coached by the youthful Ade Suhendra, whose unremarkable playing career saw him line up for 14 different teams, Adhyaksa have built a squad rich in experience as they push for automatic promotion with Makan Konate perhaps the best known player.

The Mali attacking midfielder has been in Indonesia since 2012 and has played for 10 different teams as well as a couple of stints in Malaysia. The elegant midfielder is probably best remembered for winning the league with Persib in 2014 and his goal-scoring exploits with Arema over a couple of years.

Another familiar name will be Dedi Hartono who, like coach Suhendra and Konate, has spells with Barito Putra on his resume. His career started well, winning the upstart Liga Primer Indonesia with Semen Padang in 2011/12 and earning a few caps for Indonesia before succumbing to the usual career path in Indonesian football of bouncing from club to club, island to island, time zone to time zone. Now 38, he is enjoying a fine autumn to his football like, captaining the league leaders possibly to promotion.

The biggest headache any team has is finding goal scorers. Sometimes you can go years trying out different players and having zero luck. Or, occasionally, one can fall in your lap. Portuguese striker Adilson Silva has certainly taken to life in Indonesia's second tier with Adhyaksa. In his first season with the club he has scored 22 goals in 21 games and you wonder whether he has just a single-year contract or he signed up for several seasons - in which case any future move could come with a transfer fee!

Garudayaksa

If you're a powerful chap, there are a number of ways you can get involved in football. In Indonesia for example, the son of a former president got involved with his local side. Moving to Malaysia, the son of a state king took over a team going nowhere, rebranded them, invested millions and they now dominate the game in the peninsula.

Further north, in Thailand, an influential provincial political powerbroker bought the license of an existing club, moved them to his hometown, rebranded them and built them into the biggest club in the country.

In the examples of Malaysia (Johor Darul Ta'zim) and Thailand (Buriram United), money was invested in infrastructure as well as players and bred success keeping the locals happy with large crowds filling their new stadiums. In the case of Indonesia (Persis), there has been little to suggest the club has benefited from any largesse thrown their way as they struggle to fight against relegation from the Super League this season.

So, when the current president decided to go involved in football, which path did he choose? A very different path as he initially set up a football academy in 2023 in Bekasi. In 2025, he went for the more traditional route and bought the licence of PSKC Cimahi, moved them to Bekasi and rebranded them Garudayaksa. The current 2025/26 season is therefore their debut season.

Coached by M Ridwan, who doesn't seem to have a wiki page(!), Garudayaksa's star player is undoubtedly Andik Vermansyah. A nippy, pacy winger, Andik attracted rave reviews from his earliest days with Persebaya and had trials with teams in the US and Japan. When he did finally go abroad, it was to Malaysia and Selangor where he stayed four years. The other familiar name in their lineup would be Asep Berlian who spent six years with Madura United.

What to look for

In Adilson, Adhyaksa have the coach's dream striker. Then again, with only 16 goals conceded, Garudayaksa have the strong defence that coaches also desire. Two of those goals came in the 3-2 loss in Banten earlier in the season, while in the other meeting, the Bekasi-based side came out on top 2-0. With each side so far cancelling each other out in previous meetings, could the outcome be decided by something as banal as home advantage? Friday's game is being played at the Patriot Stadium in Bekasi. Is that alone enough to swing the game their way with the added bonus of three points, seeing them leapfrog their Yaksa rivals?

Positive Vibes Despite Bulgaria Defeat

2026-03-31T17:40:00.002+07:00

With the FIFA Series done and dusted and Indonesia generally receiving warm acclaim for their performances under new coach John Herdman, a look back at their performances in friendlies over the four and a bit years.

The first thing that leaps out is the quality of the opponent. For a side that fancies itself as a challenger for AFC Asian Cup Qualification, playing the likes of Chinese Taipei and Timor Leste isn't perhaps the best preparation

One area where Indonesia has traditionally struggled in international football is physicality, especially when coming up against the larger players from the Middle East. If the naturalisation programme, with players brought up mostly in Europe with a bigger frame, is to continue, then perhaps the Garuda would be in a better position to go toe to toe with physically stronger players

This would suggest targeting opponents from North Africa, Europe and perhaps even Central Asia

But over the years, when it comes to lining up friendlies, Indonesia is a slow starter. Yes, they got Argentina but do you think that was dreamt up by the PSSI or was it an AFA initiative? Likewise, Bulgaria only landed at Soekarno-Hatta because FIFA organised it

Organised football nations plan their friendlies months in advance and are not left scrambling around seeing who's left

I'm sensing a genuine feel-good factor around the national team at the moment. Not a bandwagon like we saw in 2010 where politicians and celebrities suddenly discovered football as the Merah-Putih advanced to the AFF Championship Final in front of massive crowds at Bung Karno before buggering off never to be seen again, but a more measured, more realistic approach where difficulties and weaknesses are acknowledged and appreciated

Friendlies

27/01/2022 v Timor Leste 4-1 Gianyar

30/01/2022 v Timor Leste 3-0 Gianyar

01/06/2022 v Bangladesh 0-0 8,615 Soreang

24/09/2022 v Curacao 3-2 7,095 Bandung

27/09/2022 v Curacao 2-1 21,819 Cibinong

25/03/2023 v Burundi 3-1 4,448 Bekasi

28/03/2023 v Burundi 2-2 2,028 Bekasi

14/06/2023 v Palestine 0-0 32,537 Surabaya

19/06/2023 v Argentina 0-2 56,060 Jakarta

08/09/2023 v Turkmenistan 2-0 13,814 Surabaya

05/09/2025 v Chinese Taipei 6-0 24,272 Surabaya

08/09/2025 v Lebanon 0-0 27,052 Surabaya

27/03/2026 v St Kitts & Nevis 4-0 26,703 Jakarta

30/03/2026 v Bulgaria 0-1 24,174 Jakarta

Federations

AFC - 5 games

CONCACAF - 3 games

CONMEBOL - 1 game

CAF - 2 games

UEFA - 1 game

Stadiums

Bali x 2

Soreang x 1

Bandung x 1

Cibinong x 1

Bekasi x 2

Surabaya x 4

Jakarta x 3

Sabah Eye Second Cup Final

2026-03-30T19:31:00.006+07:00

Over the years a number of Malaysian sides have fallen under the radar of this here blog. Partly cos my limited attention tends to focus on the 'bigger' clubs, or those with the supremely daft names. That doesn't mean I'm not unaware of other clubs, especially when they attract the headlines or overachieve.

But Sabah. Sabah haven't just fallen off the radar, they're in the bottom of a rarely opened draw tucked away in a dusty wardrobe at the back of the shed.

And yet, by their standards, these are heady days for the Rhinos. Three consecutive 3rd place finishes in the Super League shows a consistency they have never previously shown in the top flight. As if that hasn't been enough to set the pulses racing in Kota Kinabalu, this season has seen the team reach not one but two finals.

Back in December they reached the FA Cup Final only to lose to Johor Darul Ta'zim 5-0. But there still remains a second chance of lifting some silverware next month when they face Penang in the MFL Challenge Cup over two legs

The irony is this season's cup runs have come at a time when their consistency in the league has taken a hit. As things stand, Sabah sit 10th in the 13 team Super League, grateful perhaps there seems to be no relegation this season - perhaps in part due to a second tier rammed with reserve sides and other nonsense!

Looking at their squad and you are soon struck by the number of familiar names including, between the sticks, Khairul Fahmi. The vastly experienced Fahmi was part of the great Malasyian side which won the AFF Championship back in 2010. Indeed, he may well have even appeared in my Team of the Year a couple of times. You want more familiarity? I'm pretty sure I wrote a piece about Darren Lok years back but the search function on Blogspot ain't the best. Fergus Tierney is another. And, one more blast from the past would be Gary Robbat who I first came across playing for Malaysia in the AFF Under 16 Championships in Jakarta nearly 20 years ago!

Oh, and for good measure, Sabah who have a long history of appointing Australian coaches including Ron Smith started the current campaign with Jean-Paul de Marigny, once of APIA Leichhardt when I was living there

So yes, for those in the ABJDT (Anyone But Johor Darul Ta'zim) camp, the MFL Challenge Cup Final could be worth keeping an eye on!

Indonesia Win As Football Returns After Break

2026-03-30T15:53:00.001+07:00

FIFA Series

Indonesia v St Kitts & Nevis 4-0 (Beckham Putra 2, Ole Romeny, Mauro Zijlstra) 26,703

Great to see even with the diaspora featuring, a local lad netted twice in new coach John Herdman's first game in charge of the national team. Later today, they play Bulgaria in what should be a touger challenge

Championship Group A

Persikad v Persekat 4-1 (Castenheiria, Afriyanto, Depa, Fatari; Sula) 413

Adhyaksa v Sumsel United 3-2 (Adilson 2, Fergonzi; Jacinto 2) 821

PSMS v PSPS 1-1 (Nurzadin; Gamaroni) 1,049

Persiraja v Sriwijaya 2-1 (Kurung, Popalzay; Sehabudin) 2,698

Garudayaksa v FC Bekasi City 4-0 (Everton Mendonca, Andik Vermansyah, Frydek, Maulana) 130

The Championship returned and with several games taking place on the same day as the Indonesian game crowds were predictably on the low side.

The Yaksa Twins (they're not related as far as I'm aware!) continue their fine form even though they have yet to develop any kind of fanbase. A familiar name, Andik on the scoresheet for Garudayaksa - I guess now he is at the veteran stage!

Another familiar name on the scoresheet was Omid Popalzay for Persiraja despite it being reported he had been called up by Afghanistan. His late goal ensured the three points and denied already relegated Sriwijaya a surprise draw

Anyway, next up is 1st v 2nd which could be fun. Wonder if the crowd will top 1,000?!

Championship Group B

Persela v Persiba 2-0 (Malik, Utomo) 0

Persipura v Deltras 3-0 (Sroyer, Mandowen, Mansaray) 14,993

Barito Putera v Persiku 1-1 (Rizky Pora; Renan da Silva) 4,845

Kendal Tornado v PSS 1-1 (Dimas Putra; Riko Simantunjak) 0

PSIS v Persipal 6-1 (Alberto Goncalves 3, Esteban, Ibrahim, Dutra; Afandi) 2,706

Group B, home to the more traditional teams, seemed to have little difficulty drawing in the fans - at least at the games where they were allowed!

Nearly 15,000 saw Persipura close the gap on PSS who surprisingly dropped points away to Tornado Kendal.

Another blast from the past, Rizky Pora, scored for his beloved Barito Putera as they stayed close to the leaders - Rizky has been with the club since 2013, if Wiki can be believed! Coach Teco has won the top division with Persija and Bali United (twice) so don't put a playoff push past the Laskar Antasari

At the other end of the table, PSIS moved out of the relegation play off place after thrashing Persipal. Another veteran, Beto Goncalves, showed their is life in the old trooper still with a hat trick. This continued PSIS's fine start under their new coach, something I highlighted a few weeks back

This Is What Domination Looks Like

2026-03-25T19:51:00.043+07:00

Most titles: 12, Johor Darul Ta'zim
Most consecutive title wins: 12
- JDT (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024–25, 2025-26)
Biggest title-winning margin: 23 points
- 2018 season; Johor Darul Ta'zim (59 points) over Perak (36 points)
Most points in a season: 76 points, Johor Darul Ta'zim (2023)
Most wins in total: 269, Johor Darul Ta'zim
Most wins in a season: 25, Johor Darul Ta'zim (2023)
The biggest home win:

Johor Darul Ta'zim 9–0 Kelantan Darul Naim (10 April 2025)

Most goals scored in a season: 100
- Johor Darul Ta'zim (2023)
Fewest goals conceded in a season: 7
- Johor Darul Ta'zim (2023)

2024/25 - Johor Darul Ta'zim 24 23 1 0 90-8 70

2023 - Johor Darul Ta'zim 26 25 1 0 100-7 76

2022 - Johor Darul Ta'zim 22 17 5 61-12 55

2021 - Johor Darul Ta'zim 22 18 3 1 50-9 57

Johor Darul Ta'zim haven't lost a league game since April 2021 when they lost to Terengganu 0-1. Their 7-0 win over PDRM last week not only meant they had won their 12th consecutive title, it meant they had gone 104 games without a loss

With four games remaining, they are on target to go through the whole season winning EVERY league game, scoring 100 goals along the way

Of their seven goals conceded this season, three came in a single game

PSS Fans Cheering Their Team To Promotion

2026-03-23T20:20:00.003+07:00

I don't know if there is a European equivalent of PSS Sleman. A club with no real tradition of success, based in a suburb of a larger city known as a cultural centre, PSS defy pigeon-holing. The football club rarely makes waves locally, let alone internationally. In fact, it's probably fair to say the PSS fan group, Brigata Sud Curva, is better known globally than the team itself!

PSS fans were probably the first to make an impression overseas when BCS started to appear in Ultra fanzines. A steady flow of Europeans would head east to Yogyakarta, not for the temples like Borobodor or the street food of Marlioboro but for the terraces of Maguwoharjo Stadium, tucked away in a residential area of Sleman.

I went one game and there was just me. A few years later and there were white guys everywhere keen to grab a piece of the BCS action for their podcasts, vlogs or Instagram accounts. No one knew any of the players or even the opponents, it was all about the green, white and black on the terraces.

While the Maguwoharjo terraces aren't for me with my advanced years and the absence of safety barriers thousands do fill the southern terrace behind the goal. And not just lads - as with many Indonesian clubs, there is an active female fan base which is just as involved and just as passionate as this documentary on Al Jazeera shows.

A few years earlier it was the Arema fans, Aremania, which was making waves but their fame never really stretched beyond Indonesia's numerous shores. BCS were different. For once, the world was taking notice of football and they weren't focused or death. Like I had been for the previous 10 years, their focus was on the terraces. The Maguwoharjo in full voice was as fine a spectacle as the rice fields of Bali and the mystical temples of Central Java and people were spreading the word

The club however, has never been able to replicate the fans' appeal or success on the field. Money as ever, is always going to be an issue but over the years, there has been discord between the club management and the fans with BCS not reluctant to boycott games if they feel the club is not being run professionally.

In the last 20 years, PSS have only ever once finished in the top 10 of the top flight. The fans turn up, the club doesn't seem to.

Now, though, as Group B of the Championship prepares to return post Ramadhan, PSS are four points clear of second-placed Barito Putera and unbeaten in their last seven games, in a good position to make a speedy return to the top division.

PSS v Kendal Tornado 3-1 9,558

PSS v Persipura 0-0 13,237

PSS v Persiku 2-1 13,979

PSS v PSIS 2-1 13,662

PSS v Persela 1-1 11,166

PSS v Barito Putera 0-0 12,967

PSS v Deltras 3-1 5,574

PSS v Persipura 2-0 6,484

With three games played behind closed doors, PSS have been averaging 7,878 per home game this season, a number which is only bettered by Buriram United and BG Pathum United in Thailand's Thai League 1 (Malaysia seems to have stopped announcing their attendances unfortunately).

There is no doubt that Indonesian football is better off for having PSS in the Super League. Their fans deserve it at least.

If you're in the neighbourhood and PSS are at home, go to a game. You'll enjoy the atmosphere at least and the chances are high you'll be singing 'ku yakin kau bisa, ku yakin kau bisa menang' for days after!

KL City's Long Serving Foreign Legion

2026-03-22T19:22:28.719+07:00

There is enough to mock Malaysian football with, let's face it's not hard to find something, but with not much happening today beyond that lot up the road embroiled in a relegation 6-pointer and the Arsenal involved in a cup final, I thought I'd dig up a feel-good story from football in the peninsula.

Players come and go in Southeast Asian football. They rarely stick around at one club for any length of time, given the short-term nature of most, so when one can celebrate five years in one place, and a team-mate has eight years, then that is worthy of comment. Especially when both players concerned are foreigners and the club concerned has a record of not always paying players going back a few years!

So, with a tip of the hat to Kamal Azizi (2021) and Zhafri Yayha (2015) who can also look back proudly on long spells in Malaysia's capital, let's have a look at a couple of players who didn't just move to Kuala Lumpur to play football - they made it home.

In the case of Giancarlo Gallifuoco you can have a certain amount of sympathy. The Sydney-born defender spent a couple of years at Tottenham as a teenager which probably caused untold trauma. There was a time young Aussies in London migrated to Earl's Court for a laugh but this poor lad was the wrong end of the Victoria Line!

Since that time in London, he moved on to South Wales at Swansea City before returning to England and playing at both extremes of the south coast, in the west with Torquay United and in the east at Dover Athletic.

He finally arrived in Malaysia in 2021 and one of the first things he did was to help KL City end their trophy drought by lifting the Malaysia Cup under coach Bojan Hodak. And KL has been home ever since and as he makes clear on this podcast, he is absolutely loving life in Malaysia's capital! His daughter who was born in KL even speaks English with a Malaysian accent. Lah!

The Bojan influence is strong as evidenced in this interview from last year where he says 'Every coach I have had has taught me something at one point or another, but I must say that Bojan Hodak, Nenad Bacina, and Stanley Bernard have been crucial for my development in the Southeast Asian game.'

Despite the recent controversy within the Malaysian national team, GG, as he is affectionately known, has yet to receive a call-up from the Harimau Malaya, but as far as the City Boys are concerned, he is 'one of their own'!

In South East Asian terms, Fandi Ahmad is I guess what today's young, internet savvy kids would call the GOAT. To overtake the GOAT as the leading goalscorer of all time then is some bloody achievement. Yet, that is was Paulo Josue did a couple of years back.

Brazilian born Josue moved clubs nine times in his first six years in football, a Brazilian journeyman struggling to really make a mark.

When he landed in Malaysia back in 2017 I wonder what his initial reaction was. I think it's fair to say he never for a moment he thought he'd still be there nine years later and considered one of the club's greatest of all time.

And in 2023, he took Malaysian citizenship and has already represented his new country on a number of occasions.

As well as the acclaim of the fans, Josue has more tangible momentoes of his time in Malaysia having won the Premier League in his first season as well as the Malaysia Cup and runners-up in the AFC Cup in 2022.

Despite his status at the club, Josue hasn't been immune to the financial problems that plague KL City and has used his position, and yes privilege, to speak out about the issue.

It would have been easy over the years for both Gallifuoco and Jouse to move on when they saw their savings dwindle with nothing coming in from the bank, but both players stuck with the club and for that they both deserve massive credit.

Unfortunately, not the sort of credit which pays the bills!

FIFA's Surprise ASEAN Announcement

2026-03-22T13:56:00.005+07:00

A few months ago I decided to buy a new bookcase for my Arsenal programmes. I didn't need a new bookcase; the other one is perfectly fine but hey, I'm the boss. I can do what I want.

That was my initial reaction to the Bald Infant announcing there would be a FIFA ASEAN Championship starting in October. You can tell he has been hanging round with the Washington Orange Man too long - the announcement of something unnecessary came out of the blue and was lacking in detail.

Just like Orange Man, it leaves those who actually care about the subject scratching their heads with way more questions than answers.

1 - Who wanted it?

2 - FIFA is notoriously a money-oriented business now. Is there serious money to be had from organising its own ASEAN Championship?

3 - Are World Cup expectations now so low that the Bald Infant is scrambling around trying to make up the shortfall?

4 - Would there be a FIFA ASEAN and an AFF ASEAN?

5 - Are we really going to see domestic leagues put on hold for back-to-back international tournaments?

6 - Will ties be played in Qatar and Saudi Arabia?!

7 - Who actually wanted it?

8 - What will happen to ticket prices?

Both of my regular readers will know I'm a big fan of the ASEAN Championships. It may have lost some of its shine for some countries, I'm looking at Indonesia who, with their diaspora, think a trophy they have never won is not as important as qualifying for a tournament where they have only ever won three games.

I do think also some of the magic has gone when they switched it from having groups centrally based to home and away, increasing costs and travel time for players and fans.

And yes, if we are to keep the home/away going, why not fit the games into the existing FIFA calendar?

I guess for the time being we'll have to sit and wait while the Bald Infant gets round to crossing the i's and dotting the t's.

Scots Striker Flynn-Gillespie Thrives In Aceh

2026-03-18T15:55:00.002+07:00

Back in my more active days, I had this idea of travelling around Aceh watching football. In those halcyon days, we had the likes of PSAP Sigli, PSLS Langsar, PS Pidie Jaya, PSSB Bireuen and PSLS Lhokseumawe in and around the top two divisions and by all accounts, games between the provincial rivals could get a bit lively on and off the pitch.

Back in 2014, a challenge by the PSAP goalkeeper on an onrushing Persiraja striker led to the striker suffering a bladder leakage. He died a few days later.

The top club in the province is undoubtedly Persiraja. Breaking with naming tradition, Persiraja don't have Banda Aceh in their name - instead, they take their acronym from Kute Raja, an earlier name for the capital city.

Persiraja line up in 2011

For most of the last 20 years or so they have sat comfortably in the second tier apart from a couple of spells where they got to mix with the big boys. They finished runners-up in 2010/2011 (I managed to see them that season win away to Persitara) and third in 2019 winning promotion both times.

There is little danger of the Laskar Rencong achieving a hat trick of promotions this season. As things stand, they sit fifth in Group A of the Championship, nine points adrift of leaders Adhyaksa and nine clear of second bottom Persekat who would face a play-off to avoid relegation.

With such a dull old season, why write about them? Partly because I'm still in catch up mode on Indonesian football as a whole and partly because I find some of the most interesting stories are to be found away from the top teams.

Take coach Jaya Hartono for example. Back in 2003, he won the league with Persik. I first came across him when he was coaching a thrilling Deltras side which featured the likes of Claudio Pronetto, Sebastian Valazquez and Christian Rene. Since then, like many an Indonesian coach, he has bounced around the archipelago like a Lion Air cabin crew struggling to replicate that early success.

Player-wise, perhaps the most familiar name is David Laly. Born in Wamena, Papua, Laly can truly claim to have covered the 17,000 islands and three time zones that make up Indonesia during his football career, having played for Persipura (Papua), Persib (Java), Barito Putera (Kalimantan), along the way to Aceh. Oh, and he also spent time in Malaysia with Felcra in 2018.

A diminutive winger with pace to burn, Laly was one of those types of players Indonesia produces in abundance, not always with the end product to go with it though. Now in his early 30s, Laly is in the twilight of his career, far from his home town, which leaves me wondering - considering a one-way flight home can cost £450 and take around 20 hours, requiring stopovers in Malaysia(!), Jakarta and Jayapura, how often does he go home?!

London-born Scottish striker Connor Flynn-Gillespie faces a marginally longer trip home. The 28-year-old has a varied resume packed away with his shin pads and boots, with his career starting in Scotland before heading to Spain, Cyprus, New Zealand and Gibraltar before finding himself on the northern tip of Sumatra.

With 15 goals in 21 games in his first season in Indonesia, Flynn-Gillespie is sure to have made bigger clubs in the region sit up and take notice of how quickly he has adapted to life in the tropics. Indeed, only Adilson Silva (Adhyaksa) and Igor Henrique (Persiku) have scored more.

One other intriguing name at Persiraja is Omid Popalzay. The 30-year-old attacking midfielder was recently called up by Afghanistan for a couple of internationals - another journey that stretches Skyscanner to the limit!

Despite being born in Kabul, Popalzay has spent his career overseas, having played for teams in Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Poland, Bangladesh, Sweden and Jordan before arriving in Indonesia in 2023 with PSPS. Apart from a short-lived stay in Bangkok, Indonesia has been home.

One of the underestimated jobs a coach has these days is moulding such a disparate group of players together into a team all on the same page, especially in an area like Aceh which has sharia law. Laly, Flynn-Gillespie and Popalzay show how eclectic can be the make up of a football team as a Papuan, a Scotsman and an Afghan seek to gel with each other and their surroundings.

What Are They Smoking?

2026-03-17T18:05:00.006+07:00

I have taken the liberty of translating and copying & pasting the Football Association of Malaysia's response to the recent sanctions passed down by the AFC regarding the Magnificent 7. As a subject, it is one I have steered clear of given its complexity beyond the odd comment of grown adults suddenly realising they had Malaysian grannies.

Instead, what attracts me to the story is the whole response from the FAM. Despite all the proofs which have apparently been shown, they still sit there and act like they have done nothing wrong.

Each response from Wisma FAM elicits just more bewilderment from people leading to many to ask 'just what are they smoking?' or just scream 'stop digging yourselves into a hole!'.

Check out the last paragraph of the official statement. They want to know why they have been punished before deciding what to do next!

For me, they have been a laughing stock ever since they wanted to host Manchester United in a pointless kick around - WHILE they were hosting the AFC Asian Cup back in 2007!

I am reminded of a certain Monty Python sketch!

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has received a decision from the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) which convened on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 regarding the case of sending down ineligible players.

The meeting, chaired by AFC Disciplinary & Ethics Committee chairman Jahangir Baglari, found that FAM had breached Article 56 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code by fielding ineligible players in the following two Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier matches:

1- Malaysia vs Nepal at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, Johor on 25 March 2025 which ended with Malaysia winning 2-0; and

2- Malaysia vs Vietnam at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil on 10 June 2025 which ended in Malaysia winning 4-0.

Accordingly, the AFC Disciplinary & Ethics Committee has decided that Malaysia was declared a 3-0 loser in both matches based on Article 25.1 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code.

In addition, FAM was also fined US$50,000 (RM196,119).

FAM will make a written application to obtain reasons for the decision from the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee before considering the next steps to be taken in this regard.

SOURCE - FAM

Persib Remain Clear While Persis Climb Away

2026-03-16T20:51:00.002+07:00

With a bit of a break for the end of Ramadhan and the upcoming FIFA Series, now seems a good time to take stock of the Indonesia Super League with this table I copied and pasted from FootMob (I googled FootMob Dewa).

Much is made of the title race and quite right to. That is where the glory is and Persib are on the verge of a third successive title which is unheard of Indonesia and their game against Borneo which ended 1-1 was a proper thriller.

With Persija being held at home by Dewa United last weekend, it's as you were at the top of the table.

At the other end of the table, things are looking interesting. Persis have slowly but surely put together a good run since Milomir Seslija returned in December and a wholesale squad clearout in the mid-season window saw 12 new players come in.

No such good fortune for Madura United who haven't won a game since the end of December. Since being bought from Pelita Jaya, Madura have never been relegated and even last season they reached the semi-final of the AFC Challenge Cup. But their next game is at home to Borneo and woth 11 goals shipped in the last games, it could be squeaky bum time for the team off the east coast of Java.

Moving up the table, Bhayangkara's five-game winning streak has seen them climb to within touching distance of 4th-placed Malut United while Persita are another side operating under the radar. Inspired by Aleksa Andrejic and Rayco Rodriguez, who each have 12 goal involvements (I am in my 60s and never used that phrase in my life!), they too, have edged closer to the top four.

Of course, it's highly unlikely either Persita or Bhayangkara are going to challenge for the top two places but their rise has been an interesting sub plot to a fascinating season.

With the league returning early in April, there's going to be plenty of time to look at the thrilling title race and, hopefully, this here blog will be providing the best English language coverage of football in Indonesia - subject to work commitments!

Indonesia Hosting FIFA Series

2026-03-16T20:13:00.004+07:00

Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: Maarten Paes (Ajax), Emil Audero (Cremonese), Nadeo Argawinata (Borneo FC), Cahya Supriadi (PSIM Yogyakarta), Ernando Ari Sutaryadi (Persebaya Surabaya)

Defenders: Jay Idzes (Sassuolo), Kevin Diks (Borussia Monchengladbach), Dean James (Go Ahead Eagles), Elkan Baggott (Ipswich Town), Justin Hubner (Fortuna Sittard), Nathan Tjoe-A-On (Willem II), Dony Tri Pamungkas (Persija Jakarta), Rizky Ridho (Persija Jakarta), Sandy Walsh (Buriram United), Fajar Fathurrahman (Persija Jakarta), Muhammad Ferrari (Bhayangkara FC), Yance Sayuri (Malut United)

Midfielders: Calvin Verdonk (Lille), Joey Pelupessy (SK Lommel), Eliano Reijnders (Persib Bandung), Ivar Jenner (Dewa United), Jordi Amat (Persija Jakarta), Marc Klok (Persib Bandung), Ricky Kambuaya (Dewa United), Witan Sulaeman (Persija Jakarta), Egy Maulana Vikri (Dewa United), Tim Geypens (FC Emmen), Arkhan Fikri (Arema FC), Ezra Walian (Persik Kediri), Victor Dethan (PSM Makassar)

Forwards: Miliano Jonathans (Excelsior), Ole Romeny (Oxford United), Ragnar Oratmangoen (Dender), Beckham Putra (Persib Bandung), Mauro Zijlstra (Persija Jakarta), Ramadhan Sananta (DPMM FC), Yakob Sayuri (Malut United), Adrian Wibowo (LA FC), Hokky Caraka (PSS Sleman), Jens Raven (Bali United), Stefano Lilipaly (Dewa United)

Tickets

Mandiri Premium West/East: 750,000 (March 27), 1,000,000 (March 30), 1,500,000 (Bundling).

Freeport Garuda West/East: 500,000 (March 27), 750,000 (March 30), 1,100,000 (Bundling)

Aqua Garuda South/North: 300,000 (March 27), 500,000 (March 30), 700,000 (Bundling).

Indomilk Upper Garuda: 150,000 (March 27), 250,000 (March 30), 350,000 (Bundling).

Available from KitaGaruda

No-One Likes Them, They Don't Care

2026-03-15T16:27:00.002+07:00

GUEST COLUMN - Dez Corkhill

Congratulations to Johor Darul Ta’zim. A 1-0 loss in Hiroshima, Japan, meant that the 11-time-in-a-row Malaysian Champions qualified 3-2 on aggregate, and so became the first team to make it to the quarter-finals of the modern format of the AFC Champions League (Elite).

Selangor made it to the Final of the 1967 Asian Champions’ tournament only to lose to Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv (that would be an interesting match-up these days), but in the modern era, Johor’s success is unprecedented.

JDT nearly qualified last season only to lose controversially to Buriram United (who have made the last-8 again this campaign) in the last 16.

But now they’re into the last 8 in Asia for the first time, and the expensively (for ASEAN football purposes) recruited Spaniards, Brazilians, Argentines and (largely recruited) Malaysian and Heritage Malaysian (FIFA banned, or otherwise) locals will find themselves matched up against the likes of Benzema, Milinkovic-Savic, Darwin Nunez, etc etc et al. The best of the wealthy West against lil’ ol’ JDT.

However, you’ll be aware that it’s NOT a generally popular success in Malaysia.

I understand WHY it’s not popular. Even if you exclude accusations largely being thrown at Johor for some kind of culpability in the “Heritage Seven” issue (too much to go into here), there are football reasons why JDT arent popular.

For example, I don’t think they’re the “nicest” team in the world. There’s gamesmanship (when “appropriate”) in the team; in commentary, I often refer to their physicality, and that goes along with plenty of macho posturing, and no little element of play-acting and game delaying tactics. But, whilst I (who never played anywhere near this level) don’t enjoy watching it, it seems to happen only when professionally expedient.

But the MAIN accusation against them is seemingly that there aren’t enough local or heritage players regularly playing. That rather dismisses selections for Afiq Fazail, Syihan Hazmi, and pre and post injured contributions from Shahrul Saad and Arif Aiman in the AFC Champions League, plus Syamhi Safari and Nazmi Faiz in progress (to be confirmed!) to the ASEAN Club Championship semi-final.

But – and it’s a huge reason - when JDT played with local and heritage players, they weren’t good enough to qualify for the latter stages of Asian Elite competitions.

As recently as November 2023, a JDT team including the likes of (the very good) Matt Davies, Syihan, Feroz Baharuddin, Hong Wan, Afiq, Arif Aiman, plus subs Shahrul Saad, Lavere Corbin-Ong and Natxo Insa were battered 5-0 in Japan by Kawasaki Frontale.

This was same group of players were in the midst of a (still running) 100+ unbeaten League record dating back to April 2021, and whose last defeat in ANY domestic competition as they bid to secure a 12th successive title this weekend was in a Malaysia Cup Final in November 2021.

That 0-5 Frontale reverse seemed to produce a reaction “upstairs”. More investment in the players and facilities. With the dollars invested, domestic domination is simply expected. Progress to the lucrative AFC Champions League Elite Last 8 was a clear target.

Recruitment showed that.

Record scorer Bergson couldn’t conquer Asa, so let’s bring in Jairo. Jairo didn’t quite work, so let’s get Marcos Guilherme. Result? Enter 3 goals in 3 games.

Feroz is considered too lightweight; Jordi Amat past his prime and Shane Lowry is injury prone, so in come Raul Parra and Antonio Glauder and the wonderful (my adjective) Eddy Israfilov.

Arif Aiman is injured so in comes Yago. Nazmi Faiz deemed “not the answer”, Hector Hevel suspended/banned, so enter Nacho Mendez and Nene.

Syihan is Malaysa’s best ‘keeper by some distance – but he’s not big enough – enter Andoni Zubiaurre. It’s ruthless. Unpopular. But it is hard (if cruel) not to conclude that each new recruit has been an upgrade. And it’s been successful.

And the cost? I smiled when His Royal Highness TMJ put out a tweet before the Vissel Kobe AFC Elite match about JDT being “underdogs”. A little US$15 million team against the $ 60,000,000 budget of Kobe. But he wasn’t – technically - wrong. (although I suspect the JDT bonuses make that equation a little more even, but I’m not privy to what those bonuses are).

The “other” big thing I often think about as Johor prepare to take on the REALLY dollar-rich clubs of Saudi, UAE and Qatar in the Finals (where and when is still to be determined for geo-political reasons, of course) is how the State of Johor is now in general public discussion. Internationally.

I was born and brought up in England and knew a lot about Singapore. Not a lot about Malaysia. And certainly precious little about “Johor”. Sport has been, and is, a wonderful International marketing tool for Johor, which puts the dollar cost into perspective.

JDT are – and have for 10 years - just been thinking bigger than anyone in Malaysia. Buriram are similar. Sheer mathematics suggest that football alone can’t make the finances make sense, but because of the patronage of TMJ and the accompanying investment, there becomes a Financial argument to support.

Not just football, but Johor as a “destination” for industry, commerce and even tourism.

I really wish that a team of Malaysians really were good enough to get as far as the last 8 of the best competition in Asa. But they can’t. I’m from Liverpool, and bemoan, but still enjoy, the fact the the current heroes are Salah, van Dijk and Alisson and not Scouse born Callaghan, Smith, Thompson or Fowler.

JDT really did try “The Malaysian way”. It didn’t work.

“But Japan compete!”, I hear. Yes, Japan has 3 professional Leagues (60 teams) plus a semi-pro Japan league below that and Prefecture leagues feeding into that. They have a pyramid and an infrastructure so players from their NFDP equivalents have a good place to play if they don’t come good quickly.

Oh yes – Merseyside (population 500,000) has eight thriving professional or semi pro clubs than exist in Malaysia! Liverpool, Everton, Tranmere, Southport, Marine, Bootle, Prescot Cables, Lower Breck (plus at least nine others paying decent “bonuses” to players to play). And Liverpool county FA alone run FIVE men’s adult Saturday leagues (with multiple divisions), and TEN Sunday leagues (multiple divisions).

Malaysia (population 35,000,000) has 13 “professional” clubs including Government-backed department PDRM and Imigresen. Of the others, many are financially desperate and can’t pay debts.

Don’t blame TMJ or Johor for Malaysia having no real football infrastructure.

When they’re told they’re not liked, there are many reasons listed above about why they don’t care. If all goes to plan, Johor will be on the world stage in Jeddah in April. And where will the rest of the Malaysian game be?

New Coach And Striker Change PSIS Fortunes

2026-03-06T19:47:00.009+07:00

Founded in 1932, PSIS are one of Indonesia's oldest clubs. Located in Semarang, one of the 10 largest cities in the country, PSIS have everything in place to be big football club. A large fanbase on their doorstep. A reasonable history. But it hasn't worked out for them for whatever reason.

Apart from a couple of seasons inspired by the likes of M Ridwan, GH Ortiz and Emmanuel de Porras, they briefly flickered 20 years ago, challenging for the title but ultimately falling short.

The last two decades have seen them flit between the top two divisions without really making an impression but now further ignominy beckons.

With 21 games gone, PSIS sit second bottom of Championship Group 2, 9th in the 10-team division and firmly in the relegation play-off place. Only six games, and a perfectly hapless Persipal is keeping them off the bottom of the table.

The season can not end soon enough for the players who face further humiliation were they to drop to the third tier and oblivion.

A team packed with experienced names like Esteban Vizcarra (39 years old), Beto Goncalves (45), Otavio Dutra (42) but they have only managed 11 goals all season. In fact, a look at the player profiles shows a squad rammed with players around 30 years old. Youth definitely isn't being given a chance in this part of Central Java.

If the squad has you scratching your head, look at the coaches they've had this season.

The 2025/26 season began with local legend M Ridwan as caretaker but he was replaced by Kahudi Wahyu, someone I am totally unfamiliar with.

Kahudi lasted three months before Ega Raka Ghalih took over as caretaker at the end of September. After a few weeks, Eka was given the job permanently. Well, I say permanent, he lasted 17 days before he was gone!

In came Jafri Sastra for his second spell at the club and his 17th appointment since he first made his name at Semen Padang back in 2012-2015.

If you're expecting the experienced Jafri was going to bring stability, think again. He was sacked on 31st January and PSIS waited a couple of weeks before announcing their new coach, Andri Ramawi Putra on Valentine's Day.

As far as I'm aware, Andri is still with the club. PSIS are also unbeaten under his stewardship which probably guarantees his job until the end of the month - when games start after the Ramadhan break!

PSIS v Persela 1-0 (Rafael De Sa Rodrigues 90) 5,103

Deltras v PSIS 0-1 (Rafael De Sa Rodrigues 27) 1,197

Persiba v PSIS 0-0 534

Five points from three games after 11 from their previous 18 is a marked improvement. Now on their fifth coach, but with Andri providing the tactical nous on the training ground and new signing Rafinha finding the net, who's to say PSIS won't escape the dreaded drop at the end of an eventful season?!

Jesus Feeling Early Sailors Pressure

2026-03-05T17:56:00.003+07:00

On the 6th February, Lion City Sailors announced coach Aleksandar Rankovic was out despite the team unbeaten and top of the Premier League. Perceived wisdom is that losses in the ASEAN Club Championship against Nam Dinh and Svay Rieng sealed his fate.

I remember thinking at the time there was an arrogance about such a move. Yes, LCS were imperious domestically and yes the club owners may think the club is too big for their league and they should be doing better regionally. They were also knocked out of the AFC Champions League 2 at the group stage.

Getting rid of Rankovic with the team boasting a perfect eight wins from eight games and a newly acquired Singappore Cup in the trophy cabinet does suggest the owners sensed retaining their Premier League title isn't in any danger and they felt sure a new guy could just come in and keep the machine ticking over.

Then events on the pitch turned around and bit them on the bum.

First up was a 1-1 draw against rivals Tampines Rovers - their first points dropped of the season.

Next came a superbly ding dong affair against Albirex Niigata. The Champions came from 2-0 on 14 minutes to 2-2 in the second half before Komei Lida made it 3-2 and a nervy ending ensued before Sailors keeper Ivan Susak levelled in the 8th minute of injury time.

On paper, two points against two sides isn't that much of a disaster and, unlike Johor Darul Ta'zim across the Causeway in Malaysia, LCS were always going to drop points at some stage. But to draw two games in quick succession conceding four goals along the way, they had conceded four in their previous 10 games (!), hot on the heels of changing coach may cause some butterflies on deck.

Not forgetting the Sailors have also lost the services of Maxime Lestienne, one of the finest imports to the game in many years.

It's all well and good a club acting like they're Chelsea and always looking to replace a coach for falling short but they need to be sure what they have built behind the scenes is strong enough to withstand any change in the helmsman.

This weekend they play Geylang International and while the Eagles may not be the freescoring loons they were last season, on their day they can ask anyone questions. And Tampines, with four wins in their last five games come up against bottom of the table Young Lions, waiting to pounce on another Sailors slip.

New coach Jesus Casas will be hoping his Sailors return to the form that saw them storm to the top of the table or he could be feeling the pressure a bit quicker than he might have expected.

Chrigor's Goals Galore

2026-03-05T15:39:00.003+07:00

Something very strange happened in Selangor's last Malaysian Super League game against Melaka last week. It was a 0-0 draw, which meant not only did the Red Giants draw a blank, but their prolific Brazilian striker Chrigor continued his recent barren run.

Since hitting four away to DPMM in early January, the 25-year-old striker has hit just one goal in his last four games.

Not that his teammates will be unduly concerned. In his first season in Malaysia, Chrigor has hit 17 goals in 18 league games. He also has five goals in five FA Cup ties, four goals in four Malaysia Cup ties and four in six AFC Champions League 2 ties. Oh, and a rather mediocre one in five ASEAN Club Championship ties.

With those kinds of numbers, can we expect to see him in the red and blue of Johor Darul Ta'zim in the near future?!

In only his second season in South East Asia, Chrigor has found goals much easier to come by than his earlier stats suggest, if we can trust his Wikipedia entry. He started last season with Buriram United, where he averaged a goal every two games before going on loan to PT Prachuap where he continued rippling the old onion bag with 10 in 13.

Unlike Ronnie Fernandes who had a decent season in Selangor in 24/25, Chrigor still has a good few years ahead of him, not turning 26 until November

In a league dominated by a single behemoth, will Chrigor's goals be the difference that will help the Red Giants lift a trophy this season?

They sit second in the Super League, 18 points behind the southern Leviathan. They were knocked out of the FA Cup at the semi-final stage by Sabah. They do however, have a semi-final against Kuching City in the Malaysia Cup to look forward to and are also in the semi-final of the ASEAN Club Championship, where they face Nam Dinh over two legs in May.

If we exclude the MFL Challenge Cup last season, Selangor haven't tasted glory since they lifted the Malaysia Cup in 2015, a positive drought for one of the big names in the country.

With Chrigor in such fine form, this season will be their best chance to lift some silverware and give their long suffering fans a chance to celebrate, no matter how briefly!