Ismed Sofyan nearly joined Sriwijaya FC in 2013, but chose loyalty to Persija based on his mother's advice.

The loyalty of Ismed Sofyan to Persija Jakarta is beyond doubt. The living legend of The Kemayoran Tiger revealed the surprising fact that he was once on the verge of leaving the club he had defended for years.

This moment occurred in 2013, when Persija Jakarta faced a severe financial crisis. The difficult situation within the club led several players to choose to leave in search of better career and financial certainty.

Amidst these conditions, Ismed Sofyan received a tempting offer from Sriwijaya FC. That offer almost made the senior right-back truly leave Persija.

In his admission, Ismed stated that the transfer process at that time had progressed very far. He claimed to have reached a verbal agreement with Sriwijaya FC.

"There were many temptations, from teams outside Jakarta, but the most serious one was in 2013, I was tempted by Sriwijaya FC," revealed Ismed Sofyan while being a guest star on the Podcast Itsme.

Ismed had even said goodbye to the club management and Persija supporters. He also conducted a farewell broadcast via the The Jakmania community radio as a farewell message to the loyal supporters of The Kemayoran Tiger.

The seriousness of Sriwijaya FC in bringing in Ismed was also said to have reached the final stage. The club from Palembang was reported to have prepared a jersey with his name on it and ordered Airline Tickets for the transfer process.

"It was quite substantial (the offer), but I rejected it at the last minute, verbally it was already a deal," he said.

However, amidst this situation, Ismed chose to seek advice from his mother before making a final decision about his future. From that conversation, his mother gave a message that became a turning point in his career journey.

"I called my mother, I told her about the situation. Eventually, my late mother said, 'Don't be afraid about sustenance, sustenance is never misplaced, you should just stay at Persija'," recounted Ismed.

Additionally, his mother reminded him that Persija was like a second home to him. After years of defending the capital city club, Ismed was seen as having no need to start a new adaptation elsewhere.

This advice ultimately led Ismed to cancel his move to Sriwijaya FC. Amidst the financial uncertainty Persija faced at that time, he chose to stay with the club that had made his name.

That decision then became one of the greatest symbols of loyalty in Indonesian Football. Ismed Sofyan's faithfulness to Persija ensured his name is remembered as one of the most loyal players in the Club's History and Football history nationally.