Persija Defeats Persebaya, STY Criticizes JIS Grass Pitch and Reveals Flu Outbreak

Jakarta – Persija Jakarta have returned to the top of the provisional Super League 2026/2027 Standings after claiming a 1-0 win over Persebaya Surabaya on matchday nine, hosted at Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) on Saturday, 7 November 2026. Despite securing victory in front of their home supporters, the result for the Macan Kemayoran was overshadowed by head coach Shin Tae-yong's criticism over the stadium's poor pitch quality, alongside fitness issues as multiple squad members fell ill with influenza.

Persija's only winning goal was scored by Ivan Mamut in the 89th minute. The Croatian striker converted a rebound after his first shot was parried away by Persebaya Goalkeeper Reza Arya.

The additional three points bring Persija's total to 21 points from nine matches, returning the club to the top of the provisional league standings with a one-point lead over Dewa United.

Despite the win, Shin Tae-yong was not fully satisfied with his side's performance. The South Korean manager stated that the extremely poor condition of the JIS pitch severely restricted the players from executing their playing style and performing at their full capability.

"My players worked incredibly hard today, even on this terrible pitch," Shin stated during the post-match press conference.

According to Shin, the substandard pitch condition directly impacted the performance of attacking players including Ivan Mamut. He noted that while Mamut possesses strong technical ability, he was unable to demonstrate his full potential due to the unfit playing surface.

Shin has urged JIS management to carry out urgent repairs to ensure the pitch is in usable condition for Persija's upcoming home fixtures.

He added that a properly maintained pitch will allow players to produce their best football while also delivering an improved viewing experience for supporters.

Identical complaints were raised by Persija captain Rizky Ridho. The Indonesia national team defender confirmed there had been no noticeable improvement to the JIS pitch since the club's previous home match.

Ridho went on to admit the poor surface was causing mental fatigue for players, as it made it impossible to properly implement the team's tactical game plan.

"I don't even know what they were renovating here. I will say this openly: this is mentally draining, not just physical tiredness from playing. This pitch is unplayable. I swear, I have to say this," Ridho stated.

He confirmed that frustration over the pitch was shared across the entire playing squad, repeating the call for stadium management to carry out urgent repairs to allow Persija to perform at maximum capacity.

Flu Outbreak Disrupts Persija Squad

Alongside pitch quality issues, Persija also faced major squad fitness problems in the build-up to the Persebaya fixture.

Shin Tae-yong confirmed that around three to four players had contracted influenza, leaving them unable to compete at peak condition for the match.

Affected players included Radovan Pankov and Victor Dethan, who both missed several days of training with flu and only returned to full squad practice one day prior to kickoff.

Meanwhile, striker Alexander Jeremejeff remained unwell with flu, ruling him out of both training and selection for this match.

This situation left Shin with extremely limited attacking options, resulting in Ivan Mamut being named as starting striker and playing the full duration of the fixture.

This decision ultimately paid off. Despite Persija struggling to build their usual style of play throughout the game, Mamut produced the decisive winning goal late in the closing stages.

It was also revealed that Shin Tae-yong himself had previously contracted influenza, requiring hospital treatment in the days leading up to the Persebaya match.

This victory represents a key result for Persija in their 2026/2027 Super League campaign. However, the public criticism from Shin Tae-yong and Rizky Ridho regarding the JIS pitch is an urgent unresolved issue that must be addressed immediately to allow Macan Kemayoran to perform optimally in their upcoming home fixtures.