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Wednesday, March 25, 2026

 

This Is What Domination Looks Like

 



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





Monday, March 23, 2026

 

PSS Fans Cheering Their Team To Promotion

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!


Sunday, March 22, 2026

 

KL City's Long Serving Foreign Legion

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

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.




Wednesday, March 18, 2026

 

Scots Striker Flynn-Gillespie Thrives In Aceh

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.


Tuesday, March 17, 2026

 

What Are They Smoking?

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


Monday, March 16, 2026

 

Persib Remain Clear While Persis Climb Away

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

 


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


Sunday, March 15, 2026

 

No-One Likes Them, They Don't Care



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?



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