The Dignity of the Indonesian League 1 Again Depends on PSM Makassar

HANOI, TUESDAY — PSM Makassar has become the only remaining hope for Liga 1 Indonesia to affirm its quality in international club competitions. The team nicknamed "Juku Eja" or "Red Fish" will strive to reach the final of the ASEAN Club Championship 2024-2025 by competing in both semifinals at the Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) headquarters on Wednesday (30/4/2025) at 19:30 WIB, at Hang Day Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam.

The team coached by Bernardo Tavares arrived in Hanoi with an aggregate advantage of 1-0. In the first match at the Gelora BJ Habibie Stadium, Parepare, South Sulawesi, on April 2, the header goal from central defender and captain of PSM, Yuran Fernandes, provided an advantage for the Indonesian representative to face the second match.

Indonesian football fans hope that PSM can reach the final match. This is because Madura United has already failed to reach the final round of the Asian Challenge League after losing with an aggregate score of 3-6 to the Cambodian representative, Svay Rieng. The Cambodian team was defeated by PSM 1-0 in the qualifying round of the ASEAN Club Championship.

With the failure of Madura, Liga 1 Indonesia has fallen behind the leagues of Singapore and Cambodia, which have sent representatives to compete for the championship in international competitions. Singapore is represented by Lion City Sailors, who will face Al-Sharjah in the final of the AFC Champions League Two.

The results in the international competition prove that Indonesia's Liga 1 is already behind several ASEAN clubs. Before Svay Rieng and Lion City Sailors, Malaysia was able to win the AFC Cup—formerly known as the AFC Champions League Two—alongside Johor Da’rul Ta’zim in 2015. Then, Kuala Lumpur City reached the final of the AFC Cup in 2022.

Meanwhile, Thailand has the Thai Farmers Bank, which won the Asian Champions League Elite title consecutively in 1993-1994 and 1994-1995. BEC Tero Sasana also competed in the final of that prestigious Asian competition in 2002-2003.

Specifically, in the ASEAN Club Championship that took place in Jakarta in 2003 and Brunei Darussalam in 2005, Tampines Rovers from Singapore once became the champion after defeating Sri Pahang from Malaysia. In the inaugural edition, BEC Tero fell 1-3 to the invited team from India, East Bengal, in the final match.

Ahead of the second semifinal match, Tavares highlighted the unfair treatment given by PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) as the competition operator. According to Tavares, PSM did not receive the same treatment as Madura, which was granted a postponement of matches in Liga 1 prior to the final match of the Asia Challenge League.

PSM is set to play three matches within nine days, starting from their encounter with Bali United in Parepare on Friday (25/4/2025). Just four days after representing the nation in Hanoi, Juku Eja will have to be in Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, to face PSS Sleman at the Maguwoharjo Stadium, Sleman, on Saturday (3/5/2025).

"We have made every effort to restore the players' condition after the match against Bali. I hope all players can deliver their best performance," said Tavares, Tuesday (29/4/2025).

It must be acknowledged that PSM is a point booster for the coefficient of Liga 1 Indonesia in the ranking of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions. Although not participating in Asian events, such as the AFC Champions League Two and the AFC Challenge League, Juku Eja continues to make significant contributions over the past decade.

The total points collected by PSM in their three participations in the AFC Cup editions of 2019, 2022, and 2024 amounted to 5.65 points. This means that PSM contributed 30.3 percent of the 18.65 points recorded by Liga 1 Indonesia.

In order to redeem various failures of Indonesian clubs in previous international events, PSM is determined to maintain their aggregate advantage. The pragmatic playing style of Tavares will be showcased once again.

That tactical approach allowed Juku Eja to collect 10 points from five matches in the group stage of this season's ASEAN Club Championship. PSM only suffered a single defeat, losing 0-1 while playing away against the Malaysian club, Terengganu.

Tavares reminded his players to be more effective in the counter-attack process. He understands that CAHN will play offensively from the kickoff.

"We must improve the accuracy of the (positive) transition so that the final outcome is better," said Tavares, who was absent from accompanying his protégé on the field due to a red card penalty.

On the other hand, CAHN is determined to maintain their 100 percent home victory record in the ASEAN tournament. Strong teams, such as Buriram (Thailand) and Lion City, have already felt the ferocity of CAHN in Hanoi. Borneo FC also fell 2-3 in the final match of the group stage of the ASEAN Club Championship at CAHN's home ground.

CAHN coach Alexandre Polking emphasized the need to improve the effectiveness of opportunities for his squad. In the match in Parepare, CAHN failed to capitalize on three golden opportunities in the first half, including a penalty execution by the Brazilian import striker, Alan Grafite.

"We can't afford to waste any more chances. They (PSM) are a team that can punish you when you're off guard," Polking was quoted as saying by the ASEAN United website.

Playing at home and having a better break time serves as an advantage for CAHN. They received a postponement of their league match last weekend to maximize their preparation against PSM.