Persija Women Coach Surprised Indonesia Women's League Is Tighter Than Expected

Persija Women coach Yusup Prasetiyo did not hide his surprise after watching the Indonesia Women's League 2026/2027 competition unfold live at Stadion Madya, Senayan, Jakarta, on Sunday (18/10/2026). He judged the competition in the women's league to be far fiercer than he had imagined, especially since this is his first experience handling a women's team.

The admiration came after three opening matches were played on the same day. Persita Women beat Garudayaksa FC Women 1-0 in the morning, followed by Dewa United FC Women's narrow win over Persikad Women by the same score in the afternoon. Persija Women themselves had to settle for a share of the points with FC Bekasi City Women after a 1-1 draw in the evening match.

According to Yusup, those results reflect that no team can be taken lightly. "The league is quite competitive. I was also surprised by the three matches today," he said in a press conference after the match. He added that the even quality between teams makes every match a potential trap.

"Honestly, this is the first time I have handled a women's team. So I did not expect the league to be this competitive. All the teams really have good ability and quality," Yusup said.

That statement underlines one important point: this season's Indonesia Women's League is no longer merely a complementary event. With tight results in the first week, the women's league shows that real competition has begun since kick-off. For teams that have not yet sorted themselves out, the threat of dropping points will come sooner than expected.

For Persija Women, this draw is a note in itself. Although they did not lose, dropping two points at home is certainly something to evaluate. Yusup realizes his team still needs to adapt to the rhythm of a competition that turns out to be higher than expected. But he is optimistic that the quality of his players can match the tightness of the competition.

On the other hand, the first week's results are also a positive signal for the development of women's football in the country. Until now, the women's league has often been considered less prestigious than the men's competition. But with tight competition and small upsets, the Indonesia Women's League has the potential to attract more attention, both from fans and sponsors.

Going forward, the biggest challenge is maintaining consistency. Is this first week a sign that all teams are ready to compete flat out, or merely early euphoria? What is clear is that coaches like Yusup now have reason not to look down on their opponents anymore. For the public, tight competition certainly promises more interesting viewing.