Carlos Impressed by GBK Ahead of Challenge to Persija, Madura United Aims for Important Victory

Viralterkini.idJakarta – The match against Persija Jakarta on Friday (23/1/2026) was the first moment for the Brazilian coach to face the Kemayoran Tigers since officially joining Madura United in November 2025.

The meeting of the two teams will take place at GBK Stadium, which is known as one of the largest and most magnificent stadiums in Southeast Asia.

Madura United coach, Carlos Parreira, admitted that he was very impressed when he first set foot at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK), Jakarta. His experience of traveling at the highest level of world football means that his assessment of Indonesia’s proud stadium is not arbitrary.

“This stadium is extraordinary. I was involved in the 2010 World Cup with the South African national team and was also part of Brazil’s technical staff at the 2014 World Cup. I have visited many stadiums, and this stadium is really impressive,” said Carlos in a press conference ahead of the match, Thursday (22/1/2026).

Carlos believes that the GBK Stadium is similar to the Maracana Stadium in Brazil. Starting from the oval shape to the dominance of white, GBK is said to present a majestic feel like the iconic stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Looking at this match, Madura United is in a quite challenging situation. Laskar Sape Kerrab is currently ranked 14th in the standings with 17 points. They have to face Persija Jakarta who is in solid performance in third place with a collection of 35 points.

Even though they are a visiting team and are far behind in the standings, Madura United comes with new optimism. One of them is through the presence of a new foreign player from Brazil, Riquelme Souza, who admits that he is ready to play in this weekend’s crucial match.

“I am now ready to play. Previously, I had three weeks to train and that was very good for me,” said Riquelme, quoted by Tribun Madura.

According to him, the adaptation process is running smoothly because conditions in Indonesia are considered not much different from Brazil.

“That period was a positive adaptation process, because the conditions here were similar to those in Brazil, both in terms of climate and player quality,” he added.

Riquelme also emphasized that his personal target with Madura United is to help the team improve its position in the standings in the second round of the competition.

“I want to give my best every day, both in training and in matches. Currently the league is entering its second half, so it feels like a new competition. Every win is very important to improve our position in the standings,” he stressed.

Apart from Riquelme, Madura United also came with new faces after changing the composition of foreign players. Carlos Parreira brought in the Brazilian duo, Riquelme Souza and Junior Brandao, who are expected to be able to boost the team’s performance.

Currently, Madura United sits in 13th place and really needs a win to stay away from the threat of the relegation zone. The duel against Persija at the GBK Stadium is predicted to be fierce, with the hosts’ ambition to maintain competition at the top, while the visiting team is fighting hard to survive in the Super League this season. (ma)