Persib and Persebaya Advance to the 2026 President's Cup Semifinals, Who Will Follow Next?

The race for semi-final spots at the 2026 President's Cup is starting to narrow. Persib Bandung from Group A and Persebaya Surabaya from Group B are the two sides that have already locked in their semi-final tickets. The remaining two semi-final slots are still being contested all the way through the final group stage fixtures.

Persebaya became the second team to secure a semi-final place after claiming maximum points from their first two Group B matches. Known as Bajul Ijo, the side opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Persija Jakarta, courtesy of an own goal from Macan Kemayoran defender Radovan Pankov.

Bernardo Tavares' squad then continued their impressive form with another 1-0 victory against PSMS Medan at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya. Yuran Fernandes' solitary strike during first half injury time settled the match and confirmed Persebaya's second consecutive win.

Six points from two matches puts Persebaya comfortably at the top of the provisional Group B standings. This total cannot be matched by Persija Jakarta, who have only collected one point from two games, meaning the semi-final ticket is officially secured for Green Force.

Who will join Persebaya in progressing will be decided on the final matchday of Group B. Both Persija Jakarta and Port FC retain a chance to advance alongside Persebaya.

Port FC hold the advantage, sitting in second place in the provisional standings with four points. The side only requires a draw to qualify for the next round.

Persija meanwhile must beat PSMS Medan, while also depending on the result of the Persebaya vs Port FC fixture going in their favour.

PSMS Medan have been officially eliminated from contention, having suffered back-to-back defeats against Port FC and Persebaya.

The decisive final Group B matches will be held on Saturday 1 August. Persebaya will face Port FC, while Persija take on PSMS Medan.

Before Persebaya's qualification, Persib Bandung became the first team to confirm their semi-final place from Group A. Nicknamed Maung Bandung, the side recorded back-to-back identical 1-0 victories at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung Regency.

In their opening fixture, Persib beat Arema FC 1-0 via a goal from Uilliam Barros. This positive run continued when Balsa Sekulic scored the only goal of the game to seal victory against DPMM FC in their second match.

Six points from two fixtures sent Persib to the top of Group A and confirmed their semi-final ticket. 

The battle for the one remaining qualification slot remains wide open. Arema FC are in the strongest position with three points, while DPMM FC and Tampines Rovers both keep their chances alive having collected one point each. 

Results from the final matchday will determine which side joins Persib in the semi-final round.