BANDA ACEH — Persiraja Banda Aceh suffered another defeat in the 2026/27 Pegadaian Championship. Playing away at Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, on Saturday night, September 26, 2026, Laskar Rencong fell 1-2 to Persikad Depok in the third week of the season.
This result leaves Persiraja without a single point from their opening three matches.
Previously, Persiraja lost 0-1 to Semen Padang FC in their season opener, followed by a 1-2 defeat against PSPS Pekanbaru in the second week.
Persiraja head coach Jaya Hartono acknowledged that the match against Persikad was quite engaging. However, he admitted his team struggled to cope with several of the home side’s foreign players.
According to Jaya, his players focused heavily on neutralizing Persikad’s foreign contingent. This overconcentration inadvertently created space for the opponent’s local players to capitalize and score.
“It was quite an exciting match, and we really struggled against Persikad’s foreign players,” Jaya Hartono said after the game.
“Our defenders worked extremely hard to contain their foreign players. But while we were focusing on them, their local players broke through and managed to score,” he added.
Jaya also noted that the absence of one of Persiraja’s foreign players impacted the team’s strength, particularly in the defensive line.
In addition to defensive issues, Jaya Hartono highlighted the missed chances Persiraja created over their first three matches.
He stated that his side actually had several scoring opportunities, including a one-on-one situation with Persikad’s goalkeeper in the first half.
However, they failed to convert those chances into goals.
“Since the beginning of the season, we’ve created plenty of chances. Starting from the match against Semen Padang, then against PSPS. Even tonight, in the first half, we had a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper, but we still couldn’t score,” Jaya explained.
Furthermore, he asserted that the poor results suffered by Persiraja fall squarely on his shoulders as the head coach.
Jaya Hartono declared his readiness to accept whatever decision the club’s management and board might take regarding the team’s current situation.
“This is the extent of our performance right now. But whatever the result tonight, or in the previous games, it is my responsibility,” he said.
“Whatever decision management and the board make moving forward, I am ready to take full responsibility,” Jaya emphasized.
Dwiki Apologizes to the People of Aceh
Meanwhile, Persiraja player Dwiki Mardiyanto extended an apology to the people of Aceh after the team once again failed to secure a positive result.
Dwiki stated that the players were unable to deliver their best performance in the match against Persikad Depok.
He assured that the Persiraja squad would thoroughly evaluate their performance to prepare for the upcoming fixtures.
“On behalf of the players, I sincerely apologize, especially to the people of Aceh. As players, we couldn’t deliver the best result tonight,” Dwiki said.
He added that the players remain confident they can bounce back and improve their performance in the next match.
“However, all of us players are still confident that for the next match, we will evaluate everything as thoroughly as possible,” he added.
The defeat against Persikad leaves Persiraja still searching for their first points in the 2026/27 Pegadaian Championship. Laskar Rencong are now under pressure to improve their results while addressing the various issues evident in their first three games of the season.