Aceh – Indonesia, Persiraja Banda Aceh head coach, Muhammad Ridwan, expressed his apologies to the supporters and fans of Laskar Rencong after failing to secure points in his debut match, where they hosted Sumsel United at H Dimurthala Stadium, Banda Aceh, on Friday, October 2, 2026.

Persiraja fell 1-2 to Sumsel United, marking their fourth consecutive defeat at the start of the 2026-2027 Championship Indonesia season.

Ridwan stated that there are still many areas needing improvement following the match, particularly regarding finishing and player confidence.

“Congratulations to Sumsel, and I apologize for this result. God willing, we will continuously work on making improvements,” Muhammad Ridwan said during the post-match press conference.

Ridwan noted that Persiraja actually started the match quite well. However, momentum shifted after the team conceded a goal, received a red card, and had one of their defenders suffer an injury.

Nevertheless, the former Indonesian national team player expressed pride in his squad’s determination as they continued to fight under difficult circumstances.

“I am very proud to see the grit shown by my players. In terms of determination, fighting spirit, and effort, playing with nine players is no easy task,” he said.

Ridwan shared that he gave a motivational speech to Jayus and his teammates in the dressing room to keep them fighting. That motivation was evident in the second half when Persiraja managed to equalize.

However, several subsequent opportunities could not be converted into additional goals to secure a victory.

Ridwan acknowledged that finishing remains a major issue for Persiraja. According to him, while the team succeeded in creating several chances through ball possession, they failed to capitalize on them.

“We simply couldn’t convert our first-half chances into goals,” Ridwan stated.

“That is an area we will definitely work on. Our finishing remains a persistent issue,” he added.

In addition, the Persiraja Banda Aceh coach had prepared contingency tactics in case of a stalemate in the attacking line or during match play.

“We had several tactical plans. If the situation stalled or a red card occurred, that was our cue to switch to the next plan,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Persiraja Banda Aceh player Muhammad Rafif Putra also extended an apology to the people of Aceh for failing to deliver points at home.

He emphasized that all players, coaches, and management had worked tirelessly throughout the match.

“All of us—players, coaches, and management—worked extremely hard today. The result was certainly not what we wanted, but I am confident we will keep fighting to secure the three points that the people of Aceh desire,” Rafif said.

“We sincerely apologize to the people of Aceh for not being able to earn points at home. God willing, we will perform much better moving forward,” he added.***