Thursday, April 09, 2026
Bogor Raya Hoping To Put Kota Hujan Back On Football Map
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!
