Long wait is over for Persipura
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Papuans have ample reason to rejoice after Persipura Jayapura exceeded even its own expectations by reaching the 2005 Indonesian Soccer League final.
"This is indeed a blessing," Persipura manager M.R. Kambu, who is also Jayapura mayor, told The Jakarta Post. "Our highest target was the quarterfinal."
Sunday's final against hometown team Persija in Senayan, Central Jakarta, ends a long drought for the team and its fans. In 1996, Persipura, a three-time winner of the national championships in the late 1980s, reached the final in the second year of the league.
It lost 4-3 to PSM Makassar, and has failed to repeat the feat until this year.
Persipura beat PSMS Medan 1-0 in Jayapura on Wednesday to win the league's Eastern section with an undefeated record. About 40,000 fans celebrated the victory of the team -- nicknamed the "black pearls" -- by parading a cup made of wood and covered with gold paper around Mandala stadium and through the streets of the city.
"Persipura is going to Senayan," they shouted in a celebration that continued until the morning.
The victory made headlines in local newspapers the following day; To Senayan at last said the Cendrawasih Pos daily. A picture of captain Edward Ivakdalam scoring the decisive goal featured prominently, while coach Rahmad Darmawan was dubbed the "doctor of soccer".
Win or lose on Sunday, Persipura's fans are glad that it has returned from a long period in the also-ran wilderness since its 1996 final showing.
In 2003, Kambu made a controversial decision to hire foreign players. The addition of the new players helped Persipure finish in the top five that year, although it slumped to 13th in 2004.
Kambu was again ready to try something new, hiring Rahmad Darmawan, former coach of Persikota Tangerang, to train Persipura.
He also recruited five more foreign players: Leng Lolo, David Igbonevo and Erick Mabengga from Cameroon, David da Rocha from Brazil and Victor Sergio from Argentina.
It's a decision that has paid off.
"We recruit players from countries who have won the World Cup," Kambu said. "We hope our players can learn from the foreign players."
Five national players -- talented teenager Boas Solossa, Jendri Pitoy, Edward Ivakdalam, Mauli Lessy and Jack Komboy -- will also play on Sunday.
"On paper, Persipura players are better than Persija," Kambu said, "but the ball is round, and it will be up to the players to decide the outcome."