Papua PON Men's Football Schedule: North Sumatra's Passion And Aceh's Ambition

Illustration - West Java player Andri (right) fights for the ball with players from the Persindra club at Tridaya Stadium, Indramayu (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Two teams representing Sumatra, namely North Sumatra and Aceh, will compete on the second day of the group stage of the men's soccer group PON XX Papua in Jayapura City and Regency, Tuesday afternoon.

Launching Antara, North Sumatra is the most successful province in the history of PON football, with a collection of four gold medals since the quadrennial sporting event began in 1948.

However, it has been more than three decades since North Sumatra last made the highest achievement in PON football.

The last time North Sumatra brought home a men's soccer gold medal was at PON XII in Jakarta in 1989. In PON XVII Riau 2012, North Sumatra returned to the finals but had to settle for silver after giving up 0-2 against East Kalimantan.

Now North Sumatra has arrived at Bumi Cendrawasih under the command of head coach Colly Misrun who targets his foster children to open the way to the semifinals.

North Sumatra will undergo the first test in realizing this target by facing Central Java in their first match in Group B which is scheduled to take place starting at 15.00 east Indonesia time at Mahacandra Stadium, Jayapura City.

Central Java is now being handled by Eko Riyadi, who stated that he is still optimistic that he can qualify for the last six even though he is in Group B which is considered a hell group because apart from being inhabited by North Sumatra, there is also East Java, which on Monday succeeded in crushing South Sulawesi 3-0.

Aceh's ambitious targets

At the same time, at the Barnabas Yaouwe Stadium, Jayapura Regency, Aceh as the other representatives of Sumatra Island will face North Sulawesi for the elimination of Group C.

Both teams have been absent for a long time in PON men's football. Aceh last appeared in the 2008 PON, while North Sulawesi was absent for eight years.

Even though it just returned to appear in PON again, Aceh has set an ambitious target, namely reaching the final.

This could not be separated from their decision to use the services of one of the seasoned coaches who had brought Indonesia to win the 2018 AFF U-16 Cup, Fakhri Husaini.

As a local man, Fakhri had revealed that he was called to help Aceh repeat the success of bringing home a silver medal in PON football

Meanwhile, North Sulawesi for the first time returned to compete in PON men's football since the last time taking part in PON 2000 in East Java.

The head coach of North Sulawesi, Rudi Manumpil, admitted that he and his team also carried a mission to repeat the pride of winning the 1996 PON bronze medal.

Another match in the second day of the Papua PON men's soccer match will bring together East Nusa Tenggara against North Maluku at the Mandala Stadium, Jayapura City.

Both teams are certainly motivated to repeat the might of the host Papuan troops who crushed defending champions West Java in the opening of Group A.

The following is the schedule for the Papua PON men's soccer group stage matches on Tuesday (in east Indonesia time):

15.00 (A) East Nusa Tenggara vs. North Maluku at Mandala Stadium

15.00 (B) North Sumatra vs. Central Java at Mahacandra Stadium

15.00 (C) Aceh vs. North Sulawesi at Barnabas Yaouwe Stadium