Persib Bandung's Long Wait for a League Title and the Triumph of the U-21 Team

Persib Bandung is one of the most successful football clubs in Indonesia, with a history that spans over several decades. However, despite their illustrious past, the club went through a barren spell that lasted almost two decades, leaving their supporters desperate for a league title. The last time Persib won the Indonesian league was back in 1994/1995 when the competition was still called the Divisi Utama.

For almost two decades, the club's trophy cabinet remained empty, and they failed to meet the expectations of their supporters, known as the bobotoh. However, during this time, the U-21 team brought some relief to the club's supporters. In the 2009/2010 season of the Indonesian Super League for the U-21 age group, Persib U-21 won the league title.

The team, made up mostly of academy players, defeated Pelita Jaya U-21, who were coached by Jajang Nurdjaman, also known as Janur. It was Janur who would later go on to lead Persib to win the league title in 2014.

The Persib U-21 squad consisted of Rizky Bagja as the goalkeeper, Ryan Permana, Yan Harjito, Dudi Sunardi, and Anggi Indra Permana as the defenders, Rendi Saputra, M Agung Pribadi, Munadi, and Dias Angga as the midfielders, and Rudi Giovani and Sigit Hermawan as the strikers.

Under the guidance of Mustika Hadi, Maung Ngora, as the U-21 team is known, had a difficult start to the tournament. In the group stage, they were grouped with Pelita Jaya U-21, Persija U-21, Persitara U-21, PSPS U-21, and Sriwijaya U-21, and lost their opening match to Pelita Jaya with a score of 1-2 on 28 November 2009 at the Singaperbangsa Stadium, Karawang.

The defeat in the opening match seemed to open old wounds for Maung Ngora, who had also been beaten by Pelita Jaya in the previous season's semifinal. However, the team was able to bounce back, winning their remaining matches and securing a place in the top six.

In the second round, Maung Ngora faced another challenge as they were grouped with Persipura U-21 and Persik U-21 in Group M. However, the team was able to overcome the challenge and finished at the top of the group, setting up a semifinal match against Persebaya U-21, who were the runners-up in Group N.

In the semifinal match played on 13 May 2010, Persib had to fight hard against Persebaya U-21, drawing the match 1-1, which led to a penalty shootout. The team held their nerve and won the match 6-5, securing a place in the final against Pelita Jaya U-21, the defending champions.

The final match was played on 16 May 2010 at the Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung. The mission of Maung Ngora was to end Pelita Jaya's ambition to become back-to-back champions. The team's confidence was high going into the match, and they were able to win the match and lift the trophy, bringing joy to their supporters.

The triumph of the U-21 team was a significant achievement for Persib Bandung, and it gave hope to the club's supporters that the first team could also end

Persib Bandung's Long Wait for a League Title and the Triumph of the U-21 Team Persib Bandung's Long Wait for a League Title and the Triumph of the U-21 Team Reviewed by Gosip Dunia on April 15, 2023 Rating: 5
Powered by Blogger.