Draw Against Persija, PSS Coach: Tough Match, But Fair Result

JAKARTA - PSS coach Dejan Antonic said the 1-1 draw with Persija in the 2021-2022 Indonesian Liga 1 continued, last Sunday was a fair result.

"This match was tough for us, it was also tough for Persija. So, I think the result was 'fair'," said Dejan in a virtual press conference after the match, as reported by Antara.

The Serbian tactician considered that both teams were equally struggling to win amid the complexity of adjusting after the national football competition was closed for more than 1.5 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is also what makes Dejan appreciate the performance of his foster children who continue to try to score goals when they are 0-1 down.

Persija initially took the lead through Yann Motta's goal in the 17th minute. PSS could only equalize an hour later via Irkham Mila's goal.

"The players appear disciplined and continue to work hard. We actually have many opportunities to win the game. But the most important thing is that there are no injured players. Next, we will recover before looking at the next game," said Dejan.

The PSS goalscorer Irkham Mila also admitted that the match against Persija was not easy. Irkham also felt grateful that PSS earned one point.

The 23-year-old winger did not forget to thank his coach, Dejan, for giving him the opportunity to play.

"I don't want to disappoint the coach. Thank God we finished the match well," said Irkham.

The draw versus Persija made PSS occupy the tenth position of the 2021-2022 Indonesian Liga 1 standings with a collection of one point.

Persija is ranked 12th with a similar value.