Persib in AFC Cup Round of 16, can they surpass Persipura's Asian achievement?
Source: Antaranews/Persib.co.id
Persib Bandung will represent Indonesia in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) 2025/26. To date, the Indonesian club with the best achievement at the Asian level is Persipura Jayapura.
Amid the euphoria and optimism surrounding Persib in ACL Two, one question arises: can they match or even surpass Persipura's achievement?
Persipura's best achievement was reaching the semifinals of the 2014/2015 AFC Cup. This achievement marked a moment when an Indonesian club dared to challenge West Asian dominance.
READ ALSO
Must Win by 4 Goals, Persib Defender Confident of Advancing to ACL2 Quarterfinals
Needing a 4-goal win, Bojan Hodak believes Persib can create a miracle at GBLA.
Persib Bandung Face Mission Impossible, Beckham Putra Ready for Ratchaburi FC in ACL II
The AFC Cup has now been renamed the AFC Champions League Two (AFC Two), which Persib is participating in. Although the name has changed and the format has shifted, the level of difficulty remains the same.
When Persipura Shook Asia
Persipura advanced to the semifinals of the 2014/15 AFC Cup after eliminating Kuwait SC with a convincing 8-4 aggregate victory in the Quarter Finals.
Persipura's victory could be called extraordinary, considering Kuwait SC were the defending AFC Cup champions. Crushing the defending champions with an eight-goal aggregate was no fluke.
Persipura's journey was ultimately halted by Al Qadsia in the semifinal. They lost the first leg 2-4 to Al Qadsia and were thrashed 0-6 in the second leg. Persipura lost with a 2-10 aggregate.
Despite the heavy defeat, Persipura were semifinalists. To this day, no other Indonesian club has surpassed that mark in Asia's second-tier competition.
Persipura even once competed in Asia's top competition, the AFC Champions League (ACL), now known as the elite AFC Champions League. Persipura played in the ACL twice, in the 2010 and 2012 editions.
In 2010, Persipura finished bottom of their group stage. In the 2012 edition, their performance was worse. They failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing 0-3 to Australian club Adelaide United.
Now the spotlight turns to Bandung. This season, Persib is Indonesia's representative in the ACL Two 2025/26. Persib Bandung's journey in this season's ACL Two is quite promising, having advanced to the Round of 16.
Those statistics offer hope. But Asia never forgives inconsistency. The group stage is merely the entrance. The real pressure begins when the knockout phase demands steely mentality and tactical depth.
