Persijap Falls at Home, Mario Lemos Rejects Excuses: 'One Mistake Enough to Be Punished by Persib'

Persijap Jepara failed to capitalize on their home advantage in the third week of the BRI Super League 2026/2027. Hosting Persib Bandung at Gelora Bumi Kartini Stadium on Sunday evening (20/9/2026), Laskar Kalinyamat succumbed to a 1-2 defeat, forced to concede all three points to the visitors.

This defeat underscored the quality gap between a promoted team and an established powerhouse like Persib. Persijap coach Mario Lemos did not deny that a single erroneous moment was enough for an opponent filled with experienced players to change the course of the match. According to him, his squad performed competitively, but the sharpness of execution in crucial moments made the difference.

In the post-match press conference, Lemos stated that the match was exciting and both teams were equally ambitious for victory. However, he emphasized that facing a team of Persib's caliber—which he referred to as three-time champions—leaves no room for even the slightest lapse in concentration. One mistake, he said, would immediately be punished with a goal.

"Against a team like Persib, just one mistake will make them punish you, and that's what happened," Lemos said, quoted from the press conference session.

The Portuguese coach considered this match a valuable lesson for his squad. He stressed that to defeat top-tier teams, Persijap must perform near-perfectly in both penalty boxes—both when anticipating opponent attacks and when finishing their own chances. In the second half, when trailing, Persijap reportedly began to face effective counter-attack pressure from Persib.

Interestingly, Lemos refused to use preparation time as a scapegoat. He stated that he didn't care whether management gave him one day, two days, or 25 days—his target remained the same: to win the match. This statement implies that he wants to build a competitive mentality in the locker room, not a culture of seeking justifications.

"No excuses. Given two days or 15 days, I don't like to look for excuses. We will fight to win every match," he asserted.

From the players' side, midfielder Rakhmatsho Rakhmatzoda believes Persijap has shown improvement compared to the previous two matches. The Tajikistan national player felt his team deserved at least a draw, although they ultimately had to acknowledge Persib's superiority. He mentioned that football sometimes yields unexpected results, and now the focus has shifted to the next match.

For Persijap, this defeat serves as both an alarm and a mirror. As a team competing in the top tier, the ability to maintain concentration for 90 minutes is non-negotiable. Duels against big teams are often not determined by ball possession dominance, but rather by discipline in small moments.

Moving forward, Persijap's biggest challenge is not only to improve defensive organization but also to build composure when possessing the ball in crucial areas. If similar mistakes recur, points that should have been secured at home could continue to slip away. Can Lemos translate this lesson into tangible improvements before the next packed schedule?