Persija Officially Releases 2026/27 Squad, Van Basty Sousa Is Missing From The Roster

Persija Jakarta has officially unveiled the squad that will represent the club for the 2026/27 season. The announcement was made during the team launch event at the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS), North Jakarta, on Saturday, 29 August 2026.

A total of 29 players were presented during the event. However, one previously high-profile name was notably missing from the list: Brazilian midfielder Van Basty Sousa.

Sousa's absence drew public attention, as the player's future with Macan Kemayoran had remained unresolved prior to the announcement. He had also not appeared at any of Persija's pre-season training sessions ahead of the new campaign.

One day before the squad launch, Persija Jakarta head coach Shin Tae-yong had confirmed that the possibility of Sousa joining the final team was not yet fully closed.

"For Sousa, we are still carefully assessing all options at this time. That is the current situation," stated STY.

However, when the final squad was officially announced at JIS, Sousa was not named among the 29 presented players.

Persija Finalise Eight Foreign Player Roster

Following Sousa's exclusion, Persija currently has eight foreign players registered for the 2026/27 season squad.

These foreign players are Kerim Memija, Denis Kolinger, Radovan Pankov, Kyohei Yoshino, Fabio Calonego, Stjepan Loncar, Alexander Jeremejeff, and Kwon Chang Hoon.

On the local player side, multiple core performers from Persija's previous season have been retained.

Rizky Ridho, Rayhan Hannan, Dony Tri Pamungkas, and Witan Sulaeman will all remain part of the Macan Kemayoran line-up.

Persija has also signed additional local players to bolster squad depth, with Pratama Arhan and Nadeo Argawinata among the new arrivals.

This combination of returning senior players and new signings forms the base of Persija's preparations for the 2026/27 competitive calendar under the leadership of Shin Tae-yong.

Persija Unveil Three New Kit Designs

Alongside the squad announcement, Persija used the launch event to reveal the official kits that will be worn throughout the 2026/27 season.

In partnership with adidas, Macan Kemayoran launched three kit variants: home, away, and third jerseys.

The home jersey retains Persija's iconic signature red as its primary colour, paired with golden yellow detailing on the shoulders via adidas' trademark three stripes.

Gold accents also feature on the collar and sleeve cuffs, creating a polished, elegant finish for the home kit.

The away kit uses a clean white base colour, with thin fine horizontal stripes in a grey and gold combination printed across the front panel.

Contrasting the kit's main colour scheme, the adidas shoulder stripes are finished in solid black.

For the third jersey, Persija has adopted a bright orange primary colour. A full vertical stretched tiger silhouette pattern runs across the front of the kit.

The third jersey features a dual white and red collar design, while the adidas shoulder stripes once again use solid black finishing.

Persija Set to Face Brisbane Roar

This season's squad launch event served more than just a platform to reveal new players and kits.

On the same evening, Macan Kemayoran is scheduled to host an international friendly fixture against Australian A-League club Brisbane Roar.

This match will provide Shin Tae-yong an opportunity to evaluate squad development and finalise tactical preparations before the official start of the 2026/27 competitive season.

With their new squad built from a balanced mix of experienced professionals, emerging young talent and targeted new signings, Persija enter the new campaign with the target of delivering consistent top-tier performances across all domestic competitions.